


Starlight

by AhlieraWrites



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-06
Updated: 2016-02-13
Packaged: 2018-05-12 04:32:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 22,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5652592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AhlieraWrites/pseuds/AhlieraWrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chat gives Marinette an ultimatum: Ask out your current crush, or be forced to go on a date with the black cat himself. But Marinette finds herself thinking that a date with Chat might not actually be all that bad. He's a cat full of surprises, after all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Champagne

**Author's Note:**

> This story is a bit directionless. It started as a one-off and now it's spiraling out of control as I keep dumping ideas into it. Someone stop me.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Marinette ends up on a date, which leads to consequences she never expected.

Chat Noir wasn't being his usual self. Rather than leaping from rooftops, he slunk through dark alleyways, out of sight from the rest of Paris. _I really am an alley cat now_. He sighed heavily, using the wall he walked along to support himself. He would be fine in due time, but for right now, he felt like he had been hit by a bus. His back was on fire, his legs threatened to give out, and his vision went blurry if he pushed himself too hard. _God, she roughed me right the fuck up._ The Akuma fight had been brutal. He had been tossed around a library like a ragdoll, knocking over every bookshelf in the damn place. Luckily, Ladybug had fixed the library, but she couldn't fix his extraordinarily aching body. He would be fine, of course. The Miraculous would see to that, but even this might have a longer than usual recovery period. And it would be the shy bookworm who becomes an absolute hell beast of a villain. Why did she get to cast spells like some sort of bullshit wizard? He sighed at himself, realizing how salty he had become over the situation. _Ladybug will get mad at me if I make cursing a habit._

He slumped against a wall between two trashcans, and let his transformation fade as his ring beeped it's final warning. Pain washed over him, renewing itself with a vengeance at the separation of his Miraculous. “Plagg? I'm gonna need you to eat some cheese. I'll never make it home like this.” For once, the Kwami genuinely concerned. After a rushed feast of some sports bag cheese, Adrien could get his claws out again, though not nearly as dramatically as he usually liked to. “Okay, I can handle this now.” He took a step, and immediately fell forward, barely catching himself before he hit the ground. “Nope!” He sighed, swallowed his pride, and used his pole like a cane, hobbling through the alleyway. He peeked around the corner of the buildings casting the shadows he hid in, checking for any civilians who might see him in his humiliated and disheveled state. All clear. He stepped onto the sidewalk, and paused. He knew where he was. Across the street, the Dupain-Cheng bakery sat in a seemingly holy light, like the God himself lit the streetlamp in front of the door.

 _This might be a bad idea, but it would be nice to stay stationary for a while, at least. Maybe then I'll feel better faster. Marinette, of all people, would understand, right?_ He hummed, considering his options. He could knock on the front door at midnight, climb the wall and risk injuring himself more, or...?

 _I guess I'll have to climb._ Explaining anything to Marinette's parents would be absolute hell. He'd never spoken to her father, but...Man, he was big. _If he ever gets Akumatized Ladybug and I would be in for some real shit. He's like a hairless bear._ He shivered at the thought. He's probably nice. Probably. But, bad luck was kind of his thing, so he decided not to risk it. He carefully clawed his way up the wall, inching, slowly, from ledge to ledge, stopping occasionally to recover. He was already feeling better, but not quite enough. After what felt like an eternity, he let himself fall over the railing, careless of what it may look or sound like. He closed his eyes, and relaxed a moment.

Of course he was drawn here. It probably wasn't by chance at all. He had probably subconsciously made his way here. Ever since the run-in with the Evilstrator, he had desired to know Marinette a bit more. He felt like if he kept digging, he'd find something truly special about her. But when the mask was off, and Adrien tried to speak to her, she could barely manage a coherent sentence, even seeming afraid of him, to a certain degree. So, he endeavored to do it as Chat. He visited her every few weeks or so, when he managed a free night. So far, he had genuinely enjoyed her company. His digging had paid off, and he found the pure, sparkling gem beneath that was her kindness, endless compassion and wit, and adorable awkwardness.

He let out a long sigh, enjoying the quiet of the night, until it was broken by a hatch opening, and a sudden gasp.

“Hee-eey Princess. It's been a while. How are you?” he replied, as if he wasn't laying on her balcony in a heap. He slid into one of his sly smiles, expertly covering the pain in his...everything.

“Chat? What are...what are you doing here? Why are you laying like that? I-”

“Shh, hold on a second. I'll explain.” Chat rolled himself onto his stomach with a groan, forcing his body upright. He winced in pain as he straightened his back into a sitting position. He met her supremely worried stare with a sheepish grin. “I didn't really mean to drop in on you like this, Marinette. I just....needed a quick break, and here was close.”

Her eyebrows turned up, with an expression of worry that wouldn't fade, and disbelief despite it.

“I'm purr-fectly, fine, I assure you!” He grinned at her, and it was only widened by the dramatic eye roll his pun earned him. “I'm a meow-ster at getting back on my feet.”

Her look of disapproval as she stepped onto the terrace only egged him on. “After all, if something happened to me, if would be a cat-tastrophe! Ha ha! You should see your face right meow, Marinette! Ha ha ha- Owch!” His laughter was cut short by a sharp pain in his ribs. He rubbed his side gently with his hand, sighing. He looked up at Marinette with his best kitten-eyes, who looked like she was going to set his injuries back to square one.

“Do you think that's funny? To show up on my balcony in the middle of the night, make awful cat puns and acting like you're not hurt?” Her eyebrows were furrowed with anger, but her eyes betrayed her true feelings of heartfelt concern. He was a bit touched by it, if he was being honest. She had no real reason to care, other than being her kind and helpful self. But that's what he liked so much about her, and probably why he had dumped himself on her balcony like the alley cat he was.

All he could manage was a sheepish grin, and a meaningful, “Sorry.”

She sighed, but seemed to accept his apology. Her anger slid away, and her concern for her friend took over. “Is there anything I can get for you? I can grab some bread from downstairs, or a blanket if you're cold, I have a water bottle in my room I can grab-”

“Just something to lay on. And maybe that water bottle?” He scratched behind his ears, smiling appreciatively. _I never notice how selfless she is until she's doing something for me._ He kept his eyes on her as she descend the ladder, simply watching the way she moved _. I should pay more attention to her when we're in class. We are friends, after all, plus she's a real sweetheart. It's nice to be able to talk to her without getting stammers and panicked, unfinished thoughts, though. I wonder why she does that? She can talk to everyone else just fine, it seems like, including Chat Noir._

Marinette reemerged from her room, a large blanket and pillow over one shoulder and a pink water bottle in the other hand. “I hope this will do.”

“No doughnuts? I don't think it will.”

She rolled her eyes as she snapped open the blanket, laying it on the balcony close to the wall made by the connected building. She got down onto her knees to spread it out more evenly, leaving Chat open to admire her figure. Her tank top and sweatpants clung to her body better than her every day clothing, and Chat liked it, all of it.

“Here. It's all set. Now come over here and tell me what happened to you!” She patted the blanket, welcoming him over. He stood up carefully, using the railing to keep some weight off of his leg.

“It's kind of a long story, are you sure you have the time?”

“Of course I do. I've always got time to listen to friends.”

 _I can think of a few people who only have time to talk about themselves._ Chat smiled warmly at her as he carefully laid himself on the blanket, settling on his stomach, sighing contently as he nestled his face into the pillow. It smelled like her. A sweet combination of vanilla and some sweet flower. He turned his head to look at Marinette, who leaned against the wall next to him. _But I want to hear about you right now._

“Before I tell you what happened, will you give me a minute to rest?” She nodded, complete understanding and outstanding patience covering her expression He reached over, taking her pink water bottle in his hands and taking a sip. He noticed it was half-empty, and still had some lip gloss on the edge. He didn't mind at all, though. “Tell me what's new with you. It's been a week or two, Princess.”

“About me? I didn't do anything, really. There isn't much to say.” She fidgeted nervously, breaking eye contact with Chat and fiddling with the strings of her sweatpants.

“I'm sure there's plenty. But, if you don't want to, I won't purrr-y.” He closed his eyes, grinning at his own pun, already feeling better.

She sighed, but reached over and rubbed his shoulder anyway. “This isn't really a story, but it's something, I guess. I wish you could see the stars in Paris. I mean, I love this city, but it's always got so many lights on you can't see anything at night.” Her gentle rub, focused only on his shoulder, spread as she spoke, running small circles and gentle scratches over the center of his shoulders. She dug her fingers into his back with a bit more force and kneaded the muscle there.

Not expecting it, Chat let out an involuntary groan.

“Oh! I'm so s-sorry!” She recoiled her touch away from him like he had shocked her. “I didn't mean to hurt you, I just...like to keep my hands busy and I don't always notice! I'm sorry!”

Is that so? He considered making an off-color joke, but he doubted Marinette would appreciate it. She was probably the most PG girl he knew, aside from his Ladybug. But then again, he had no filter around Ladybug. “No, it didn't hurt. It felt really good, actually.” He wiggled his hips and rolled his shoulders, missing the firm touch. He looked up at her, expecting a mixture of horror and embarrassment. Which there was but also something...else. A more smug, mischievous look. That was his thing, even if he really liked how it looked on Marinette.

“I could keep going, if you like. I'm actually pretty good at massages.”

Chat's eyebrows shot up, his mouth slightly opened with shock. Marinette giggled in response, covering her mouth with her hand. “Oh, it was a joke. Ha, ha, ha.” The cat rolled his eyes. “You're such a tease, Marinette.”

“I am not!” She stuck her lip out and crossed her arms, huffing. So cute. “I meant it. You do nice things for me all the time, let me repay you with this, if you want it.”

“Are you kidding me? A free back massage for poor little me from a cute girl like you? How could I say no?” He grinned smugly at her as she blushed furiously, whacking his arm with the back of her hand. He only chuckled in response. “Want me to take off the suit? It 'd be better that way!”

“No! I'm not going to do it if you make it weird, Chat! You know I'm interested in someone else.” She rolled her eyes as he sprawled out on the She shifted her body, trying to find a good spot to sit. She didn't want to sit on his back, but he seemed to have a lame leg, too. She sighed. Chat chuckled as she settled into sitting directly on his ass, pushing his tail out of the way.

“Isn't that a bit lewd for a girl who's interested in someone else?”He lifted his eyebrows and swayed his hips beneath her. _I might be blowing my chance at this,_ he thought, _but teasing her is always worth it._

She rolled her eyes at him. “We'll consider it practice for the real deal then, huh?” She leaned forward, gently rubbing her hands over his back. She couldn't but appreciate all of it's curves, lines, and generally well-placed muscles. Her heart was set on Adrien, of course, but that didn't mean she couldn't appreciate how attractive Chat and his lean but muscled figure was. She dug the heels of her palms in a little deeper, kneading the small of his back and working her way up towards his shoulders. He groaned again, but not in pain. She got a bit of smug satisfaction from making the oh-so cool and desirable Chat Noir melt under her touch. _He would die if he knew I was Ladybug._

“Okay, Princess. While we're – Oof! Yeah, right there – doing this, why don't you tell me a bit about this mystery boy, huh? I've gotta know who steals a heart like yours. Is he a bad boy? I bet he's a bad boy.”

“No! He's exactly the opposite! He's the sweetest boy I know.” She rubbed Chat's shoulders as she thought about how to describe Adrien. He was a lot of things, and she had to pick the best ones. She doubted the great Chat Noir would be impressed by any of it, but she could at least try. “Christ, Chat, relax your shoulders!” She firmly circled her fingers in the crook between his shoulders and neck, making him lean into the touch like a dog. “He's a model, you know.” She started.

“This is Paris. Everyone and their mother is a model. Hell, even I'm a model when I'm not doing the whole vigilante thing. Tell me something more interesting than that.”

“Well stop interrupting and let me keep going, then! But first, breathe in, then breathe out as much as you can.” She pushed both of her palms against his back as he breathed out, popping his back, louder than she thought was possible. He moaned loudly, yet contently, in response. “I told you not to make it weird, Chat.”

“I couldn't help it, sorry! God, that felt good...Could you do it again?” He stretched his arms out, and inhaled again. Marinette moved her hands lower, pressing down as he exhaled. Another pop, another contented sigh. “So, this guy--”

“Yeah, I'm getting there! He's got neat blonde hair, kind of like yours, actually, but a little bit lighter I think. He's in the same class as me. He can fence and play piano,” She sighed dreamily, and continued, “We're friends, but not close at all. I get all tongue-tied whenever I'm around him. I just panic, lose my composure and start saying whatever dumb things pop into my head. Once I tried leaving him a voice mail instead and I think my friend Alya lost brain cells because of it.”

Chat chuckled, thinking of all the times Marinette had become so flustered around him with the mask off. “That sounds like you.”

“No it doesn't! I doesn't happen to me around anyone but him. He's just so handsome, talented, cool, and collected, and...everything I'm not.”

 _I doubt that, Marinette._ “So, what's his name?” He tried to ask as innocently as possible, but he must not have been as smooth as he thought. Marinette stopped the massage to stare at him questioningly. But if she had something to say, she held it in.

“I'll tell you if we work out. How about that?” She sighed, and rubbed down his back, making small circles with her fingers. He hummed contently. “I just doubt that'll happen. He'd never even take a second look at a girl like me. I'm so...nothing.”

Chat pushed himself up onto his elbows, looking back at her, clearly displeased. “Are you serious, Marinette?” His stare bored into her, making her fidget nervously. "If you actually think that, I'm disappointed in you. You're clever, kind, selfless, creative, and beautiful to boot. You stand up for what's right, even what it's hard. You've got a ton to offer, you just need to be brave about it! Just....pretend you're Ladybug, or something. If she can kick Akuma ass every week, you can ask some dorky guy out on a date.”

Marinette could only stare at him, wide-eyed after such a speech. Chat sounded the most genuine he'd ever been in his life. The way he looked at her, and spoke with such confidence...He must truly believe in every word he said. Marinette wanted desperately to be everything he said she was, and believe in that. But she just wasn't sure if she could. “Thanks, Chat.” She replied, half-heartedly.

“I'm serious!” He narrowed his eyes at her, still looking over his shoulder. “If you don't ask this guy out by next week, I'm gonna kick your butt, alright? Consider that you're motivation.” He paused, and thought for a minute. “No, I'm not gonna kick your butt. I'm going to take you out on a date, whether you want to or not, and I'll make cat puns the whole time. And don't think I won't do it- because I will.”

She sighed. Well, that was certainly raising the stakes. Although, Marinette wasn't as opposed to the idea of a date with Chat Noir as she thought she'd be.“Alright, I'll give it a shot. But if this goes horribly wrong, I'm going to blame you.”

“I'm pretty sure I ask Ladybug on a date every time I see her. I'm basically an expert on rejection, after all! The worst thing that can happen is he says no, you wait a bit, and try again!” Marinette picked up on the sadness in his voice, despite his (very poor) attempt at encouragement. “Or you find someone else, I guess.”

“I'm pretty sure the worst thing that can happen is he hates me forever or Chloe publicly humiliates me for screwing up so bad. Besides, who else is there if he says no?” She ignored the cocky grin Chat had plastered on his face, and let out a soft sigh. I'm setting myself for all kinds of trouble. I shouldn't encourage him like this.

He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. “I'm sure it'll be fine. But hey, if that doesn't work out,” he shot an exaggerated winked her direction, “call me! I'm sure Ladybug wouldn't mind a distraction in my life.”

That she wouldn't. Marinette rolled her eyes, but smiled. At least he always knew how to cheer her up. “Sure thing, Chat.” She gave his back one final pat, just as his ring began to beep.

“Aww, over so soon?” He sat up, sticking out his lip in a mock pout. “At least I feel better now, thanks to you.”

“Yup. Now get outta here, before I get the water bottle.” He rolled his eyes but leaped up onto the roof of the building adjacent to Marinette's house.

“Don't forget, I'm coming back to see how it went next week. Otherwise you owe me date!” He winked at her, and took off into the night, leaving Marinette to her thoughts.

_Does he really think all those things about me without the suit?_

 

  
The next day, Adrien kept a close eye on Marinette. He had no idea who she was pining for, but he hoped her words would give her at least some pep in her step. Instead, the teen seemed more down than usual. She stared out the window, furrowing her brows as if she were in deep thought. He waved at her as he walked into the classroom, offering a simple, “Hi, Marinette!”

She didn't even look at him. “Hey.” She responded simply. She didn't stutter, foam at the mouth, or choke on her words around him. Something was definitely up. He looked to Alya, eyebrow raised, for some sort of explanation. But Alya seemed completely dumbstruck. Her lip was curled up in disgust at her friend as she physically leaned away. Her disbelief with Marinette was quickly redirected to a stone-cold stare at Adrien. She mouthed, _'did you do this?'_

His eyes opened wide with shock. _Does she really think_ I'm _the reason for this?_ He probably was, but there's no way she could know that! He shrugged his shoulders, turning his hands palm-up up in clear confusion. _'You're her friend, ask her!'_ he mouthed back.

“Marinette, what's gotten into you? You're acting hella weird today.” Alya frowned as she got no response. “Hello? Earth to Marinette?” She waved a hand in front of her friend's face, who snapped out her daze.

“Oh, sorry Alya! I've just been thinking about..stuff.” She smiled sheepishly.

“Uh-huh. Clearly. And what are you thinking about, exactly?” Alya leaned back in her chair, eyebrow cocked and ready to drill Marinette with questions when she inevitably avoided giving her a solid answer. Adrien watched out of the corner of his eye, pretending to not be involved and doodle in his notebook.

“Uh, stuff? I thought I made that part pretty clear, I mean...”

“Yeah, what stuff, Marinette.”

“I've been, uh, thinking about a new clothing line I want to work on! Hammering out those details, you know!” She laughed nervously, avoiding Alya's iron gaze. Adrien had to appreciate her tenacity as she tried to un-dig her grave, but only made it deeper in the process. _Sorry, not sorry, Marinette._

“You're the worst liar I know. If you don't tell me, Marinette, I'm going to dig around until I find out.”

Marinette groaned, but gave in. “Look, it's just a...” Adrien noticed that she glanced at him nervously. “boy...issue.”

_Shit, does she know I'm Chat Noir? No, there's no way._

“Oh?” Alya perked up, leaning closer to her friend. “Do tell.” She purred.

Marinette dropped her voice to a whisper, but Adrien could still hear if he listened closely. “It's complicated. I thought I liked _someone_ , but now maybe I like someone else, I don't know. Can we talk about this later? When people aren't around?”

 _Oh, that's interesting._ Adrien thought. _I think Marinette's developed a bit of a crush on Chat Noir._ He drummed his fingers on the table, a habit he had when he was lost in thought. The idea of spending more time with Marinette was an appealing one, to be sure. She was witty, kind, and willing to put up with his non-stop stream of puns and constant flirting, after all. Plus she gave excellent back massages, which Adrien was a huge fan of. He told Marinette he'd come by again next week to see how she had fared with asking this other boy on a date, and he caught himself wishing she didn't do it at all. But where would he take her on a date if she didn't do it, anyway? Especially disguised as Chat Noir. He racked his brain for any ideas, thinking over their conversation last night. He'd come up with something eventually. He always did.

He tried talking to Marinette all throughout the week. But every time he looked at her, smiled, or opened his mouth, she immediately babbled, said something strange, and made some excuse to run off. _What did I do? We were making progress before I talked to her a few days ago. Now we're back to square one._ All he wanted to do was spend time with her, really. To get to know her when he wasn't slinking around as Chat Noir, notorious Ladybug lover. But that seemed so impossible. He was confused, certainly, but it didn't change his thinking at all. He still saw her as a pretty, clever girl who could stand up for herself. He'd just have to ask about it next week when Chat dropped by.

 

  
The cat himself fidgeted nervously all night. Even the presence of Ladybug couldn't set his mind at ease this time. If anything, it made it way worse. He was thinking about Marinette, and about how guilty he felt about liking her as much as he did. How many times had he sworn his love to Ladybug? And now he wasn't sure about anything anymore. It had been a full week since he had spoken with her last, and so tonight he had to drop by and check up on her. But he knew from hanging around her as Adrien she hadn't filled her end of the bargain, which meant he had to fill his. And for once in his life, Chat Noir was incredibly nervous about it. What if she didn't like it? Thought it was too much? The suspense was going to kill him.

“Got something on your mind, Chat?” Ladybug stopped and waited for him to catch up to her.

“Huh? Oh, no.” He lied, quickly. He knew he'd been caught in it when Ladybug cocked an eyebrow and frowned at him. “I'll have you know, my Lady, that I'm _feline purr_ -fectly fine!” He grinned at her as she clicked her tongue in disapproval, but smiled. “I'm just a bit antsy. I've got plans after this, and I'm excited about them! In a nervous kind of way.”

“Plans, huh? I thought your only past time was waiting for me to come back again.” Marinette smiled, some part of her excited about making the always-cool and suave Chat Noir a nervous wreck. After all, he owed her a date tonight, and she was interested to see what he managed. Marinette was probably equally as nervous and excited, she just hid it a bit little better than Chat. In his own distracted state, he didn't notice her subtle foot taps or the way she would quickly glance away from eye contact with him. She was so completely, undeniably excited to see him without her mask on. When did she end up falling for her partner? For years she had rolled her eyes at him and his constant flirty remarks, even occasionally trying to actively discourage him from doing it again. But now, the tables had turned.

“Hey, my life only _mostly_ revolves around you.” he stated simply. “And I'll have you know,” His ears perked up, and sat straight and proud, “I'm going a date tonight.”

“A date?” Ladybug pretended to sound surprised.

“Yeah! Only...” His posture drooped, ears tipped downward, and his tail hung loosely, gathering on the ground. Marinette's stomach dropped, and she prepared herself for the any matter of awful responses.

_I still love you, Ladybug. It's just a joke. I'm only doing because I feel bad._

“...Only I've never been on a date before.” He cast his eyes downward, clearly unsure of himself. Ladybug almost never saw that look in him. But he quickly perked back up, grinning widely. “I'm pretty excited about my plans though, so I hope she has fun!”

Marinette had been expecting anything but that. Chat really does care. She smiled at him, and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “I'm sure she will, Chat. If you have half as much bite as you do bark, it'll be the best date of her life.”

He smiled appreciatively at her, and giggled like a schoolgirl. “I think you mean if I have as much purr...no, claws? As I do...Ah, never mind. Even I couldn't spin that into a good cat joke.” He gave her his best patented goofy grin.

“Maybe don't pull out those jokes on the date.”

“She _loves_ my jokes.”

“Uh-huh.” Marinette rolled her eyes and crossed her arms playfully, but he was at least somewhat right. His bad puns and cat jokes were growing on her. She'd have to pull out a few of her own to catch him off guard sometime. “So, when is your date?”

“I was going to show up at 11, I think. Well, maybe 10. I haven't decided.”

Noted. “You might want to hurry up then, it's almost 10:30.” She chuckled as he visibly panicked.

“Aw, Really? Crap! I still have to go get stuff from my house!”

“You can leave now if you need to. I can finish this up by myself, promise!” Ladybug waved to him _. At least that means I have time to get home. Maybe I could even shower._

“Are you sure? I don't want to –“

“Go!”

He yelped, and took off.

Perfect. Marinette leaped back to her house, stomach tying itself in knots as she detransformed. She took off her day clothes, let her hair down, and stepped into the shower.

 

 

  
Chat leaped into his window, tucking and rolling to neatly land on the floor as quietly as he could. He released his transformation, pulling a small duffel bag of stuff he had gathered before the patrol. He double checked it for everything he needed.

 _Flashlight?_ Check. _Star maps he had borrowed from the library?_ Check. _Champagne?_ Check. He had no idea if Marinette liked champagne, or even drank at all, but he figured it would be a nice gesture regardless. _Glasses?_ Got 'em.

“Can you think of anything else, Plagg?”

Without even a second of consideration, he responded, “Nope.”

“Thanks.” Adrien replied shortly. He glanced around his room. _What do people bring girls on dates?_ Gifts, right? He had nothing.

“Why are you putting so much effort into this? She told you she likes someone else, right?” Plagg munched some cheese (God knows where he found all that stuff), lazily watching Adrien freak out.

“Because I like her, a lot. And I think I overheard half a conversation where she implied that she might like me coincidentally the night after I gave her a sappy pep talk. But she can't, or won't, or whatever, talk to me if I'm not wearing spandex. Is that what you want to hear?”

“I just wanted to make sure you heard yourself say it out loud, first.”

“Thanks.” He grabbed his bag, slung it over his shoulder, and got his claws out for the second time that night. Fortunately, Marinette didn't live far from him. It only took a few short minutes to get there, where he carefully dropped his bag. He decided it would be in his best interest to set this up before she came up to meet him. He grabbed a thin blanket out o f his bag, snapping it open over the roof. He neatly arranged the champagne and glasses on it. He had brought a few small candles, which felt like the cheesiest thing he'd ever done in his life, but he arranged those around the rail of the balcony. _Mood lighting!_ He kicked the rest of the bag into a corner; he wouldn't need that stuff until later anyway. Satisfied, he knocked on the trapdoor, and he waited. Nothing. So he knocked again. More nothing. “Did she forget? Is she ignoring me because she doesn't want to see me?” A nervous whine escaped him.

He put his ear against the trapdoor, straining to hear anything. He could very faintly hear running water, and relief washed over him. _Why am I so paranoid about this?_

He decided, against his better judgment, to simply let himself into Marinette's room to wait. He opened the hatch, quietly nestling himself into her spinning chair. The last thing he wanted to do was wake up Marinette's parents. He twirled himself lazily, looking around her room. “That's a lot of pink.” he thought aloud. It was a simply decorated room, with just a bed and her desk, scattered with drawings. He looked over them, appreciating the quality. She can really draw. He grinned, grabbed a pencil, and started to doodle on an open page. He was no artist, to be sure, but maybe Marinette would find it later and think of him.

He perked up as the sound of water stopped, and started to fidget nervously. Just a few minutes later, Marinette stepped into her room. She sighed contently at first, but a she turned and saw a pair of glowing green eyes in her room, she let out a sharp yelp. “Chat!” She stared at him, wide-eyed. “Could you not have waited outside? That scared me half to death!”

“Sorry.” he shrugged. “I got kinda bored.”

Marinette huffed, flicking the light of her room on. Chat slapped his hands over his eyes, surprised by the sudden bright lights. “Aah! That's way worse when I can see well in the dark, you know. Ah, jeez that's bright, ow.” He tried squinting through his fingers, to no avail.

“Bummer.” Marinette deadpanned. “You're lucky I get dressed in the bathroom, Chat.” She sat on the edge of her bed, curling her legs up under her. “So, how was your week?”

Chat rubbed his eyes, finally adjusting to the brightness. “My week was just fine. But I came here specifically to ask about yours.” He shook his head, getting rid of the last of his bright-light daze. He spinned his chair around, kicking it backwards and toward Marinette. He coasted lazily up next to her, smiling expectantly.

She stuck out her lip, swatting the bell around Chat's neck. “It went fine, I guess.” She played with the edge of her shirt, clearly avoiding his eyes.

“I don't believe you.” He raised his eyebrows at her, patiently waiting for what he knew the real answer was.

Marinette crossed her arms, and fell back onto her bed. “I didn't ask out that guy.” She admitted. “So if you were hoping to avoid a date, too bad.”

“Avoid a date?” Chat crawled off of the chair and onto the bed, laying on his stomach next to Marinette. He smiled lazily, stretching himself out like a true cat. “I've been looking forward to it all week!”

Marinette laughed softly, turning to look at her partner. “Have you now? I hope you've decided on what we're doing, then.”

“I did! But first, I have to ask – Why didn't you do it? Because if it was because you didn't think you were good enough –“ Chat rolled over onto his side, crossing one his arms over Marinette to pin her against the bed and look intently down on her.

She blushed furiously and swallowed hard. Chat made a mental note of it. “No! That wasn't it.” She wiggled on the bed nervously, shrinking herself as much as possible. “I just...After you left...” She covered her face with her hands, groaning. _She's embarrassed about liking me!_ Chat thought, smugly. She split her fingers to look at him, letting out an exasperated sigh at his cocky smirk. “After you left, I missed you. You're always kind to me, and see things in me I never thought anyone would. Least of all you, Mr. M'Ladybug.” She poked his nose, and continued. “So I didn't say anything to him, I just acted like my usual idiot self, because I was struggling with liking you more, because I thought this date sounded fun and I wanted to go on it with you.” She said, with finality. “Is that enough? Are you happy?”

There was a long pause. The silence clearly made Marinette nervous, as she desperately looked for something to say, until Chat finally answered. “Yup.” _So I was right, she did like me!_ “And I hope you do think this date is fun, because I want you to enjoy yourself with me like I do around you.” He leaned down, pecking a kiss on Marinette's cheek. He tucked and rolled off the bed, springing neatly to his feet. He held out a hand to pull her up. “Now, allow me to take you on the best date of your life.”

“Try the only date of my life.” She took his hand, and stood up.

Relief washed over Chat like a wave. She's never been on a date either, so she has nothing to compare this to! Her standards are at an absolute minimum! “Well, that makes two of us.” He checked the time on her alarm clock. 11:40. He still had plenty of time.

“So, what are we doing on our date, kitty-cat?” Marinette was interested to see what he had to offer. He seemed to excited about it earlier that night, after all. It had to be something good.

Chat grinned at her mischievously, making a cat-like leap out the trapdoor and onto the terrace. He poked his head back down to speak with her. “Staying here.” He grinned even wider at her clear confusion.

“You're taking me on a date...to my own house?”

“Yes? Kind of? I'm bringing the date to you, Marinette. Now get your cute self up here.” He loved her blush, he decided. She wore it on her cheeks as she climbed the ladder, and it darkened considerably as she saw the scene in front of her. The bottle of champagne, glasses and candles all painstakingly arranged on her roof. It was the most romantic thing she'd ever seen in real life. Chat waited for her to say something. Anything. When she didn't he stepped in front of her, taking one of her hands in his own. “Do you...like it?” He asked. His nervousness kicked in again. Her expression as hard to read. She looked shocked, but he wasn't sure if was the good or bad kind.

“Chat...” She turned her eyes to him, smiling widely. Her eyes sparkled with delight, and Chat swelled with pride. “I love it. It's perfect.”

“Then take a seat! The best is yet to come, Princess.” He took her other hand, leading her to the arrangement and pulling her to the ground with him. “I wasn't sure if you like champagne, but this one is kind of fruity, so it won't be completely god-awful, at least.” He held the bottle in his hands, grinning at her. “have you ever popped champagne, Marinette?” he asked as he unwrapped the foil and wire cage.

“No,” she responded, “But there's a first for everything, right?” She slid closer to him, much to Chat's delight, who laughed happily.

“It's pretty easy!” He shoved the bottle into Marinette's hands. “Just shake it a little – “ He quickly slid behind her, wrapping his arms around her sides to direct her own. “And once you pop the cork, put your thumb over it and shake it harder!” He reached out, putting his hands gently over hers.

“This is a terrible idea!” But Marinette laughed sweetly, and Chat couldn't help but join her.

“Are you ready?” He rested his chin on her shoulder, leaning into her.

“As ready as I'll ever be!” She laughed again, tightening her grip on the neck of the bottle and rattling it slightly.

Chat grinned, swiftly pushing the cork out of the bottle with a loud pop! Marinette immediately put her thumb over the mouth of the bottle and began to shake it with all her might, laughing with childish glee as it sprayed over the edge of the terrace.

Chat didn't even have time to react when she turned the over her shoulder and in his direction, instantly covering him in the sweet champagne. He yelped, tucking and rolling out of the spray as quickly as he could. It was too late, however, and he was drenched in it from head to toe. He huffed indignantly, running his hands over his face to get off the droplets of liquor that fell from his hair and covered his mask.

He turned to glare at Marinette, who was absolutely dying with laughter. She held her sides and fell over onto the blanket, completely unable to contain herself. _Fuck, now I'm gonna be all sticky._ He couldn't be mad at her for long, especially considering he would be laughing just as hard in her position. Her hoots of laughter were turning into short bursts of giggles, until she looked up at him. Then it began all over again.

“Chat! You should see your face right now! You look just like a real wet cat!” Her fit of laughter finally died down, and Chat finally graced her with a word.

“Done?”

She sat up, wiping under her eyes with her thumbs, still chuckling lightly. “Yeah, I think so.”

“Was it worth it, Marinette?” Chat tried to sound angry, but he couldn't keep a smile off of his face. Her happiness was so contagious.

“Yeah, it was.” She got to her feet, sauntering over to him, hands innocently held behind her back, swaying her her hips gratuitously. “But I'm still sorry. That was mean.” The innocence of her voice was betrayed by the fiery look in her eyes, one that Chat wasn't sure he trusted yet. But God, did he like it. He liked it a _lot_.

“You don't sound even a little sorry, Princess.” He put his hands on his hips, cocking an eyebrow at her.

“I am! I'll even show you how sorry I am about it –“ She stepped closer, grabbing Chat by the bell and pulling him in for a kiss. Her lips pressed against his, Chat practically melted into her, putting his arms over her shoulders and leaning into her. His breath caught in his throat as Marinette deepened the kiss, sucking gently on his bottom lip. She smiled, clearly pleased with herself as she broke away for breath. “That champagne _is_ tasty.” She winked at him, curling her lip under her teeth.

 _She's going to drive me insane, one way or another._ Chat thought. But somehow, he didn't mind. “Mm, want another taste?” Chat purred.

She laughed her beautiful, musical laugh. “Seeing how I wasted the entire bottle, this might be my only choice.”

He grinned and pulled her against his chest, gladly taking the chance to kiss her again. He breathed heavily, pressing his lips tightly against hers, running his tongue over her teeth. She shuddered in response, and he reveled in it. His heart raced, his breaths came heavier, and he wanted nothing more than to take in as much of her as he could. She gasped softly when he nipped her upper lip with his teeth. He could barely take the heat building in his body. He pushed her away with a heavy pant, clearly to her disappointment.

“There will be plenty of time for that later. Right now,” He held her at arms length, face flushed and grinning like an idiot. “I have a surprise for you.” He paused, considering his phrasing. “Forget I said that. I had something special planned and it's –Aw, Shit, forget that too.” He rolled his eyes at himself. _I'm such an idiot._   _I'm sure dick jokes are exactly what Marinette wanted to hear tonight._ But she was giggling like a schoolgirl rather than being wildly offended, so it wasn't a complete disaster. He chuckled light-heartedly and held up his hands.  “Alright, alright, let me start over.” He directed her back to the blanket, carelessly pushing away the unused champagne glasses with his foot. “Sit here, and wait. Close your eyes too!”

“Okay?” She laughed, unsure of what was going on. Chat flew to his duffel bag, checking his phone for the time. 11:58. He carried it over to Marinette, who had comfortably settled onto the ground.

“So, last week, when we were just making small talk, you started saying something. It was just small talk, but I remembered, and I hope you enjoy it.” Marinette wrinkled her nose, trying to remember what he was talking about. Chat settled cross-legged next to her, looking over Paris towards the Eiffel Tower. “Open your eyes, Marinette.”

She did, and gasped aloud. Paris was completely dark. It looked like every light in the city had been turned off. “Chat, did you...? Why?”

He nodded, gently using his finger to direct her head up by her chin. “You said you wanted to see the stars.” He put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into him. He looked up too, to admire the sky in all it's glory. Every star in the sky was visible, and even the hazy cloud of the milky way was showing through.

“I've only seen it like this in pictures.” Marinette was complete awestruck. She never imagined seeing the sky like this. It was so much brighter than she had ever dreamed. She looked over at Chat, who smiled back. “It's absolutely incredible. You did this for me?”

He nodded. “Turns out, when you save a city from disaster enough times, they'll owe you a few favors. And – “ He dug through his bag, pulling out his flashlight and star map. “I thought you might want to do a bit of star gazing while you had the chance.” He pointed up at the sky. “The only one I know are the dippers,” He directed Marinette's eyes to them. “But that's kind of boring.” He clicked on the flashlight, pouring over the star map. “Oh, here!” He pointed to the map, which Marinette leaned over to see. “That part makes up Orion's Belt!”

“Oh, I see it!” Marinette took control of the map, looking from it to the sky over and over again.

Chat was over the moon with happiness. He had clearly planned this date very well, despite being so nervous about it. Even he didn't know this was going to work so well. He had expected a few stars to show up, but the whole sky? He'd have to buy the mayor a fruit basket or something. He settled comfortably into a cross legged position, “Hey Marinette,” He poked her thigh, distracting her from the map.

“Yeah?”

“If you look at the cluster of stars right above me, it kind of looks like an elephant!”

“Oh? I don't see it.”

“Well, c'mere and I'll show you!” He patted his legs, inviting Marinette to sit in his lap. She gracefully moved over to him, nestling herself between his legs. He leaned forward, wrapping his arms around her waist and settling his head onto her shoulder.

She ruffled his hair affectionately, or tried to. “Aw, Chat, you're all sticky.”

“Huh, I wonder how that happened.” He responded dryly. He pressed his cheek into her hers with a bit more force and rubbed the sticky champagne into her skin. “Whoops, how'd _that_ happen? I'm so clumsy, _sorry_ Marinette.”

“You're such a butt.”

Chat laughed in response.

“So where's this elephant you promised me?” '

“Oh? There isn't one. I lied to get you to cuddle with me. I guess if you look up there – ” He took her hand, directing her to look just above the moon – “It kinda looks like one there if you believe hard enough.”

“Mm, that was clever of you, Chat. You know what else would have worked to get me here?”

“What's that?”

“ _Asking.”_

“Mm, I'll give that a go sometime.”

“God, I hope so.” She sighed, but patted his arm that was crossed over her stomach. The pair sat in a long, comfortable silence, simply enjoying the open night sky and each other. Chat never thought he'd feel this content doing simply nothing. But Marinette's presence made it him feel so calm. All of his troubles seem to wash away with her so close to him. He felt like nothing in the world could touch him as he sat with Marinette on this balcony. No distant fathers, constant, creeping loneliness, or empty homes could keep him from enjoying himself in this moment, as he watched the stars with Marinette.

Chat sighed, burying his nose into Marinette's shoulder. “The lights will only be off for another few minutes. I could only get the city to turn them off for an hour, which was probably still pretty generous.”

Marinette sighed, clearly disappointed. “I wish I could see them a bit longer.” She turned her body around to face Chat. He could clearly see, despite the dark around them, that she was on the brink of tears. He panicked, completely unsure of what to do. His bravado gone at the sight of tears, he could only thing to pull her into a tight hug, stickiness be damned. “Chat, thank you.” She squeezed him tightly, and continued, “this might actually be the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.” She pulled away from his hug to look into his eyes. Tears still pooled in her eyes, but didn't fall down her face. “Thank you. This night has been...absolutely amazing.” She smiled at him, and he beamed back. “I don't know how you're ever going to top this date, kitty-cat.”

He laughed, “I don't think I ever will. It's all downhill from here. Sorry, Princess.” Marinette laughed, pushing Chat's chest with all her weight, sending him backwards and sprawled over the blanket, Marinette wrapped up in him and giggling happily. He took her perfect face in his hands, simply looking appreciatively into her glittering blue eyes. She leaned in, placing a soft, delicate kiss on his lips. He flashed her his signature cocky grin, sending butterflies through her stomach. From the other side of the terrace, Chat's cell phone started to ring. An alarm, signaling the end of the blackout.

Marinette propped herself up on her hands, looking out over Paris as the lights came alive again, stealing the stars away from the sky again. She looked down at Chat, who shared her look of disappointment. She sat back on her legs, offering her hands to pull Chat up. He got to his feet, looking at the now-lit city. He opened his mouth to say something, but his ring interrupted, beeping softly as a paw pad disappeared. “I had hoped to stick around a bit longer, but it looks like I have to run.” He knelt down, sitting on his toes as he always did, and put a gloved hand on Marinette's shoulder.

She could still feel it's warmth, despite the material between his skin and hers. She let out a long breath, colored with disappointment, but smiled Chat regardless. “I think not asking that other boy on a date was the best decision I've ever made.”

He laughed softly, deep and filled with warmth. “I'm certainly glad you didn't. Then the lights would have gone off for no reason.” He ignored the second warning beep of his ring, leaning closer to Marinette. “Will you promise me a second date?” He asked.

Her eye lit up, and she nodded. “Come back whenever you want, kitty-cat.” His ring beeped again, and she looked at it closely. “I'm not totally sure what that means,” she lied, “But I can guess. So get out of here and take a shower.” She put a hand on his chest and peeled it away, emphasizing the snapping sounds it made as her hand un-stuck.

“Alright, I'll get going. But I will be back, Princess. You can count on that.” He leaned in, stealing a kiss on the lips, and took off into the night.

 _Alya is going to freak out when I tell her about this._ She sighed, standing up. _Or maybe I shouldn't tell her at all. I don't want her digging around like she does._ She glanced around, and realized her roof was a mess. “C'mon, Chat, you left all your shit here.” She put her hands on her hips, huffing. She picked up the glasses and almost-empty champagne. She spun it in the bottle, and took a curious sip. Almost immediately, the taste slapped her in the face, and she quickly swallowed it with a look of disgust. “Nope, still gross.” She chuckled to herself, “But that line was way too good to pass up.” She dumped the rest into a plant, and threw the bottle into Chat's forgotten duffel bag. She rolled up the blanket, and gathered the star maps in her arms. She'd hang onto those, and pin them up in the morning. For now, she just wanted to sleep, and relive the beautiful night she had shared with Chat Noir.

 

  
From that night on, Chat dropped by her house almost every evening for the next two months. He would knock on her trapdoor, greet her with a kiss, and steal into her bedroom to hold her against him and watch a movie, listened to her tell him about her day, or simply enjoy her company. He never brought champagne again,(saying she _'couldn't be trusted with it'_ ) but did surprise her with flowers, chocolates, or any of those other romantic things Marinette had though only happened in cheesy movies. It was hard to keep it separate from when she had to be Ladybug. Marinette would listen to him talk about her with such warmth and passion, recounting their last night together or what he had planned for the next visit. She smiled and nodded, commenting on how she was glad he was so happy.

Most nights were fairly quiet and simple, but occasionally Chat would be in a fiery mood, and their night would end with Marinette and Chat tangled up in each other, passionately kissing each other in any spot they could reach until the ring announced their time was over. So far Marinette hadn't allowed Chat more than passionate kisses and gentle touches, though he had given her a particularly dark hickey just over her breast not long ago. She ached for more, but always found herself to nervous to continue any further.

This night, Marinette had nothing planned but waiting for Chat. She scrolled through the LadyBlog, looking at the most recent pictures and theories about herself and Chat Noir.

The gentle tap at her trapdoor had Marinette practically flying out of her chair and up the ladder, opening it up to the night. She was greeted with a usual kiss, and jumped down to allow Chat inside. “Good evening, Marinette,” His voice sent a delighted shiver down her body. It dripped with sultry charm as he entered the room, his intense stare focused entirely on her. Something was different about him tonight, Marinette noticed. He usually walked in with an awful joke and playful jab at how pink Marinette's room was. But tonight, he had clearly decided to ramp up his sex appeal. Every one of his movements was slow and deliberate, and the heat of his gaze made Marinette's mouth dry.

He stepped quickly to close the space between them, putting his hands on her hips and pulling her against him.

“Hello to you too, Chat.” She glanced up at him, but turned her attention to his broad chest, bringing up her hands to make slow circles on his sternum. “You seem like you've got a plan for tonight already. She leaned into him, playfully flicking the bell around his neck.

“I have something in mind, but first, I'd like to ask you a question.” He kept one hand on the small of her back, bring up the other to run his clawed fingers gently through her hair.

Marinette ran her hands over his shoulders and down his arms, looking up at him curiously. “And what is that?”

“Would you...” He seemed to catch on his words, as if he wasn't sure how to proceed. A rarity, for Chat. “Alright, this is going to sound silly, but would you...commit to me?” He asked. “I know we've been on dates and I've been over all the time, but I'd like to hear from you that you'd officially like to be the girlfriend of Chat Noir.” He tipped his head, waiting for her response.

She thought briefly of Adrien. Since her first date with Chat, her feelings for him had waned. So much so that she could speak to him like a normal human being. He actually seemed to take in interest in her at that point, but she had already fallen head over heels for her partner-in-fighting-crime, so it was a steady friendship at best. “I would love to be your girlfriend, Chat,” She smiled up at him, and he wrapped her in his arms, lifting her up into the air. She let out a mock sigh as her feet hit the ground again, “My only regret is that I don't get to brag about it.”

“Tell me about it. I'd be found out in no time if I ran around telling people I was dating Marinette Dupain-Cheng without a mask on.” He laughed, only somewhat bitterly.

“But for right now, I don't want to worry about that.” He ran a gentle claw down her neck and over her chest. He leaned in for a kiss, but Marinette's phone buzzed nearby. She glared at the phone as if it were the problem, but her screen was lit with Alya's face, who was trying to call her.

“She never calls me this late.” She stepped away from Chat, quickly answering the phone. “Alya? Do you have any idea what time it is?” She paused, listening. She turned to Chat, eyes lit with worry. “Akuma attack? Where?” Chat stiffened, ears perked, waiting for more details. Another pause. “Notre Dame?” She frantically waved her free hand at Chat, pointing to the ladder. She mouthed, _'go!_ ' at him. Without hesitation, he nodded, fleeing out the trapdoor and into the night. “Keep yourself out of trouble, Alya. I mean it. Don't risk your life to get a good shot of Ladybug, okay?” She hung up quickly, practically flying to her balcony. Chat was nowhere in sight.

“Alright, Tikki, let's go!”

 

  
Marinette captured and purified the cracked purple butterfly, setting it free into the early-morning sky. She sighed contently, and waved to Chat. “I'm out of time, gotta run!” _And I have to get back home before you inevitably show up._ She raced home as fast as her legs could carry her. She could at least take comfort in Chat having to recharge before he could drop by, giving her a few precious minutes to get herself together. She detransformed, ducking into her room and wrapping herself up in a blanket. She pulled out her phone and idly scrolled through the LadyBlog, waiting. _Leading this double-life is going to catch up to me someday._ But for right now, she was enjoying herself and didn't want that to change at all. A part of her enjoyed not knowing who Chat really was, and knowing that he had no clue she was Ladybug. It was a dangerous game, but one that thrilled her. The didn't want the danger to excite her, but she was completely hopeless. 

A knock on the trapdoor pulled her back to reality, and she quickly flipped it open. “Chat! You're alright, aren't you?” She cupped his face in her hand, looking him over.

“I'm fine. You should see the other guy, though.” He breathed heavily through his nose. “Look, it's really late. Or, maybe it's incredibly early, I'm not sure anymore. I just wanted to make sure you knew I was alright.” He leaned forward, resting his forehead on hers. “You should get some sleep, Marinette. I know I need to.”

“I will. See you soon?”

“Always.” He kissed her forehead and gave her a quick hug. With that, he was gone.

His eyes were heavy the next day. Maybe the heaviest they'd ever been. He'd gotten two hours of sleep, tops. But he dragged himself out of bed and into the shower miserably. _At least I'll get to see Marinette when I show up, even if she has no idea what we are._

Nino was waiting for him when he arrived, sitting comfortably on the steps with Alya at his side. He waved to Adrien, who half-heartedly waved back. “Hey man!” He jumped up, hopping down the steps to walk next to him. It was way too damn early and Adrien was way too tired for his enthusiasm right now. “Did you hear about the party that Kim is throwing next week?”

“No?”

“Well, he is! And you should come with! You need to get out of your house every once in a while anyway.” Adrien scoffed internally. _Right._ “Plus it would be your first real party! How exciting would that be?” He was right about that. He still hadn't attended one, discounting the Bubbler incident, which turned out to be not very exciting at all.

“He's right, Adrien! Live it up a little, you'll have a ton of fun!” Alya smiled at him, getting up to walk next to him as he walked past.

A party _did_ sound kind of fun. “Alright, I'll go.” He wondered if someone would convince Marinette to attend as well. Alya was pretty good at getting Marinette to try new things, at least. Speaking of Marinette, she was late again. He noted, unsurprised. She always seemed to be running late. And given how long she had stayed up last night, this was hardly a surprise.

“Really?” Nino seemed over the moon with his answer, jumping into the air with excitement. “Fuck yeah, dude!” He high-fived Alya, grinning to himself. “It's also a B-Y-O-B event, so keep that in mind, alright?”

“I can bring anything but champagne. I've had a few bad experiences with it I'd prefer not to relive.” He laughed, taking his seat in the classroom.

“Alright, alright. Hey, with any luck, you'll meet a cute girl at the party!” Nino nudged him with his elbow, giving him an exaggerated wink.

Without thinking, he responded flatly, “I already have a girlfriend.” _Aw, shit. I fucked up. I fucked up real bad._

A pindrop would have sounded like thunder in the classroom after he spoke. The silence was deafening. _Fuck me._  

“Dude, what? Your first girlfriend and you didn't even tell me! When did that happen? How? How long have you been seeing someone? Is she cute? On a scale of 1-10, how you you rate her boobs? How did I now know about this?!”

Adrien slapped himself internally, and rattled off vague details or just plain untrue details to satisfy Nino. “A few weeks ago, I met her on a modeling tour, she's very cute, 8 but I haven't really seen them yet, and probably because I knew this exact thing would happen?” He offered.

“Aw, man, you have to bring her to the party!”

He winced. “She's...from out of town. I'll see if I can get her to come but...” He racked his brain for any excuse in the book. _I can't exactly tell them it's Marinette, can I? Even she doesn't really know_. “She works a lot, and has a lot of classwork to do in the next few weeks.” Nino raised his eyebrows like he didn't believe him at all, but didn't pry.

Marinette came barging into the room a minute later, clearly out of breath from hurrying to get to class on time. She smiled briefly at Adrien before taking her seat behind him.

Alya immediately leaned over, grabbing Marinette's arm and whispering into her ear. He could probably guess what it was about. Nino interrupted their whispers, catching Marinette wide-eyed and dumbstruck.

“Are you gonna come to Kim's party next week, Marinette?”

She took a moment to recover, blinking her wide-eyes away and turning to Nino. “Uh, parties aren't really my thing, you know?”

“Aw, Marinette! We'll all be there! Go out and try new things, _pleeeeease?”_ Alya wrapped an arm around Marinette's shoulder, poking her sides with her free hand. “Peer pressure! Peer pressure! Peer pressure!” Marinette laughed lightly, swatting her friend's hand away.

“Alright, alright. No promises I'll have fun, though.” Adrien perked up. Marinette was really going to come? He was genuinely surprised. _Maybe I should tell her I'm chat before we go...Then she could be my date, at least. And If I remember correctly, drunk me is_ very _affectionate, and that could get very awkward very fast if she doesn't know... Ugh! I'll think about it when I'm less tired._

Alya beamed. “If you aren't, we'll leave right away as long as you at least try to enjoy yourself!” Marinette laughed with her friend, however tired she was. Was it a terrible idea? Probably. Was she going to do it anyway? Yeah. _Chat might be a bad influence on me._ Now that she thought about it, she wondered how Chat would react to hearing she was going to a party. Clearly he didn't have an issue with drinking, seeing as he brought her a bottle of champagne. Hopefully he'd be supportive of her trying new things.

 _We'll just have to wait and see._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need a beta like whoa damn.


	2. Conversations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Adrien gets a present, and gets to show off his dance skills.

Nino had a look.

Adrien couldn't place what kind of look it was, but it made him nervous. When he mixed it with a smug smirk, Adrien started to sweat. _What does he know? He probably figured something out, some inconsistency with my stories about my fake girlfriend. He's going to call me out. I'm done for._

“Adrien, you know that you're my best friend ever, right? You always have been, and always will be.”

_Oh God, here we go. I'm fucked. Straight fucked._

He settled into his seat next to Adrien, before class was supposed to begin. He leaned towards Adrien, who suddenly felt like the room was a lot smaller than I had been just a minute ago. Did he look nervous? He always had a bad poker face, but maybe, just maybe, this time he was pulling it off. Alya and Marinette looked immediately interested in the conversation, but Marinette at least tried to hide it behind a book, while Alya leaned forward, clearly trying to get a get better angle on the sudden, if suspicious, bromance in the room.

“Yes...? What are you about to do or say that I'm definitely not going to like?” Adrien arched an eyebrow at him, leaning away from his friend slightly.

“Aww, c'mon man. I'm not gonna to do anything uncool, promise! I have a present for you! You like presents, right?” Nino reached into his backpack, removing a small box. The wrapping on it was far too pretty to have been his work alone, Adrien noted. “I care about you, and I noticed you'd seemed a little off lately, so I thought this might cheer you up. I wanna look out for ya, bro!” He pushed the box across the table to Adrien. His smile seemed genuine, at least.

Adrien's expression lightened. He was under a lot of stress lately. Between his father, being Chat Noir, being Chat Noir and trying to balance a secret relationship with Marinette that neither of them could talk about, schoolwork, and a modeling career... A gift was a nice thought, and Nino _was_ a pretty genuinely nice person. This seemed like a him thing to do. Or at the very least, a him being subtly encouraged by Alya thing. “Thanks, man," his previous anxiety faded away, replaced with a heartfelt appreciation for his friend. "You're the best, man!” He took the box, scrutinizing it carefully. Adrien had always liked to try to guess what presents were before opening them. It was about the size of a matchbox, and fairly light. He shook it gently, and something rattled inside. He was thoroughly confused about what it could be. “I didn't know you were so in touch with your feminine side!” Adrien laughed, pulling at the daintily curled ribbon on the box.

“Yeah, somethin' like that.” He shared a quick glance with Alya, who covered her hand to hold in her giggles. Marinette noticed, and looked at Alya, confused. She didn't answer with words, but pointed at the box. Marinette scooted closer to Alya to see. “Happy birthday, dude!” Nino beamed.

“It's not my birthday.”

“Close enough!”

“It was five months ago. That's almost as close to ' _as far away from close enough_ ' as you can get.” But Adrien smiled regardless. He unwrapped the box carefully, peeling back the paper by its folds rather than ripping it apart. He had always liked keeping wrapping paper in tact. He frowned as he pulled the top of the paper off, revealing a silver box with bold white letters. He looked at it, confused for a moment.

_Trojan? Bareskin._..Condoms. _Oh my God. Oh my God. OhmyGod._ “Jesus Christ, Nino!” He dropped the box like it was on fire. But he quickly realized his mistake and pulled the box into his lap as quickly as he could, hiding it between his legs so no one else could see it. He turned the brightest shade of red he'd ever been in his life. “That was, hands-down, _the_ most wildly uncool thing you've ever done." Adrien hissed, his voice barely more than an angry whisper. "Remember that time you became a super villain for an afternoon? This is actually worse.” Adrien let his head fall to his desk with a dramatic thud.

Nino, on the other hand, was laughing uproariously with Alya, who shared a victorious high-five. Adrien glared at Nino with all the hatred he could muster, which actually wasn't that much. He shot Alya an angry glare too, which only made her laugh harder. Marinette, on the other hand, looked confused, but smiled sweetly and giggled along.

_I literally cannot believe she's that innocent. Alya has to have corrupted her purity somehow. Hell, I've personally corrupted her innocence more than Alya could ever dream of doing._ He turned even redder than he could have ever imagined. He wasn't going to let his mind wander right now. His cheeks were so hot he felt like he was going to burn up from embarrassment. At least nobody else had seen it, based on his quick scan of the largely-empty classroom.

“You should have seen your face, Adrien! For a single, pure second you had no idea, and then you just...!” He paused laughing for just long enough to imitate his shocked expression dramatically, until he and Alya feel into a fit of wild laughter again. Alya was wiping tears from her eyes, and even Marinette was giggling softly, though she likely caught it from the contagious laughter of her friends. “I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Nino put a hand of Adrien's shoulder as a half-assed gesture of apology.

“You are so incredibly _not_ sorry that I'm actually insulted by how blatantly you're lying to me.” Adrien huffed. “I get it, Adrien's so oblivious, ha ha _ha_.”

“I told you man, I'm just looking out for you. You've got a girlfriend now! Wrap it before you tap it, bud!” He deflated as Adrien glared at him. “Alright, alright. That was pretty mean, especially doing it here.” Soft laughs still colored his words, but at least he wasn't making a scene anymore. “I can take them back, if you don't want them that badly.” He held out a hand. “I have, after all, literally no shame.” He wiggled his fingers expectantly. When Adrien hesitated, Nino's cocky smirk grew into a Cheshire-like grin.

Adrien couldn’t help but crack the tiniest of smiles as he dropped the box into his bag as discreetly as he could. Nino winked at him, and Adrien chuckled, until he looked up. Alya was whispering in Marinette's ear, who's look changed so quickly from amused confusion to sudden horror that he thought she might actually faint. Clearly she had just gotten a run-down of what happened and what it meant, and based on how red her cheeks were, her brain probably wasn't getting enough oxygen for her to stay conscious much longer.

_Is she faking it?_ He genuinely wasn't sure. She had, after all, let him into her bedroom almost nightly, though she'd always kept him from doing anything too...drastic. He would kiss her neck, run his hands down her hips, whisper her sweet nothings...but he had never gotten past second base. She had to know. She _had_ to. Adrien involuntarily rolled his eyes at her.

“What was that for?” Alya snapped at him, leaning over the desk to grab his jacket. He had ruffled the feathers of Marinette's mother hen, and he now he was going to regret it.

Adrien recoiled as far way as he humanly could, eyes wide and pleading. _This is actually how I'm going to die. Don't kill me, I'm too young to die this tragically._

“Alya, please,” Marinette squeaked.

“No!” She used her free hand to jab Adrien in the chest. “Marinette is the sweetest, purest flower I know and she's perfect and damn special for that! So I don't need any of your sass, Adrien!”

_Yeah, sure she is. Did she show you the hickey on her boob? No, I bet she didn't. That was me._ A petty part of him wanted to call it out, but God, that would be a disaster. Worse than a disaster, a literal catastrophe, pun and all.

“I'm pretty sure he has absolutely zero sass in him.” Nino interjected.

“Shut up, I'm not done! Do you think you can just walk in here because you're some kind of supermodel-”

“Alya,” Marinette stepped carefully into the conversation, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder. She cast Adrien an apologetic glance, blushing furiously. “it's fine. Really. Please let it go. I mean, if I was in his place I'd probably roll my eyes at me, too.” Alya stared at Marinette over the rims of her glasses for a long moment, as Marinette gave her the best 'please don't be mad' sheepish smile she could manage.

“Fine.” She let go of Adrien's shirt suddenly, and combined with him leaning away from Alya as much as he could, sent him tumbling backwards and onto the floor with a strangled yelp.

He brushed himself off as he stood, wincing at the pain in his tailbone. He made a mental note to never get on Alya's bad side ever again. Wow. She was smirking at him, clearly pleased with herself.

Adrien settled back into his chair, wanting nothing more than an end to this day. And it hadn't even started.

“Oh, _Adrien_! There you are!”

He repressed a groan as Chloe stepped into the room, leaning over his desk in an obvious attempt to show him her cleavage. He had made the mistake of glancing down once for a second too long a few months ago, and he had sworn to never look again. They just weren't worth the hassle he had to put with on a daily basis. He was more of an ass man, anyway.

“I heard you were going to Kim's party.” she purred, walking two fingers across his desk. He stared up at her flatly. “I was wondering if you'd like to go with me!” He was so completely not in the mood for this. He glanced over at Nino, his eyes speaking volumes.

_You owe me, motherfucker._

“Well,” Marinette was the one who spoke up. It was a little surprising, but, petty thought it may be, Marinette leaped at any chance to make Chloe feel like an idiot. “someone didn't get the memo.” She raised her eyebrows and turned to Alya, giggling.

Chloe's eyes narrowed as her attention snapped to Marinette. “I'm sorry, I don't remember asking you to be a part of this private conversation.” She hissed.

"Well then maybe your private conversation shouldn't happen in the middle of a classroom! And maybe, just maybe, try speaking at a volume that isn't completely obnoxious!" Marinette snapped back.

  _I'm one hundred percent done with today. I bet Alya would mercy kill me if I asked nicely._ “I have a girlfriend.” Adrien replied flatly.

“Who it turns out, surprising no one, is not you.” Alya chimed in.

Chloe's face actually made Adrien's day better, for once. A mixture of confusion, unbridled fury, and maybe a little bit of self-awareness painted her expression, and she huffed indignantly, shoving herself away from Adrien's desk.

He grinned, just a little bit.

“Mm, so Adrien,” Nino snapped him out of his thoughts. “Have you decided what you're bringing to the party? As a drink contribution?”

“No.”

“I was thinking about bringing the components of a wop. You could contribute to that!”

Alya immediately chimed in, “God no! Wops are so dangerous.”

“But they're tasty!” Nino interjected. “Plus, Marinette doesn't seem like the type who enjoys the taste of liquor, so it'll be an easy way to get drunk fast!”

“Nino, that is exactly why they're so dangerous. We're not trying to get Marinette blackout drunk or give her alcohol poisoning.”

Adrien shared a sidelong glance with Marinette, who rolled her eyes and smiled as the two bickered. _Might as well make a conversation, right? Now that I can even have one with her like a normal person._ “What kind of booze  _do_ you like, Marinette?”

She tapped her pencil on her desk, thinking. “I don't really know. There aren't many drinks I've even tried.” She smiled subtly, but Adrien noticed her tiny smirk, “Although I do have a certain fondness for champagne.”

 

 

  
Marinette dropped from the rooftop to the street, landing gracefully next to Chat. “I can't find him anywhere.” She huffed with annoyance. An Akuma had appeared in the city, but neither hero could locate it. Paris was a big city, but if the Akuma lacked one thing, it was subtlety. This particular villain seemed to be laying low, however.

“Do we know what he's like? That might give us some clue.” Chat offered.

“I guess he announced himself as the Necrodancer, but that's all we have to go on.” Marinette sighed. “Why were Akuma always over the top? Why couldn't there just be a normal one who was only kind of obnoxious and not based on some kind of pun?”

“Well that wouldn't be any fun.” Chat grinned at her, “Besides, you're the only person I know who doesn't love puns.”

“Yeah?” Marinette shifted her weight to her left side, raising an eyebrow at him. “The _only_ one?”

“Mhm.” He tapped his pole on his chin, turning his thoughts to the Akuma. “The Necrodancer? Maybe...” Chat's expression quickly fell from contemplative to worried. He frowned, shivering suddenly. “You don't think he'd be in the catacombs, do you?”

Marinette froze at the thought. It made perfect sense, but she desperately wanted it to be untrue. The catacombs, tucked in the southern part of Paris, were definitely not a place Marinette wanted to go under regular circumstances, much less when an Akuma was hiding out in them. Doubly so when Marinette had no clue what it was capable of. “You're probably right. It's not the last place I'd look, for sure. I can go check it out.”

“By yourself? Absolutely not.” Chat puffed out his chest, leaning on his pole like a cane. “I'm a big boy, Ladybug. I think I can handle a trip into a spooky cave. Full of skeletons, which may or may not come back to life, and a guy who probably controls them all.” Chat let out a small groan, leaning forward dramatically over his pole. “Remember that one guy who was literally a druid? Wild shape and everything – and now this guy who's gone full lich. When did my life become a round of Dungeons and Dragons?”

“He'd already have to be dead to be a lich.” Ladybug corrected.

Chat raised an eyebrow, looking at her with a small smirk. “I didn't know my Lady was so well versed in the undead.”

She smiled, rolling her eyes at the cat. “My dad is a huge nerd. When I was little he'd let me look over his old handbooks. I mostly just looked at the pictures, but some of it just stuck with me, for some reason.” She shrugged. “We bonded over that kind of stuff, dragon types and classes and all the other dorky things to talk about when I got older.” She smiled, laughing softly to herself. “As soon as I could fit a controller in my hands we played games together all the time.”

"Can you tell me a Lich's armor class too, nerd?" He teased. Ladybug rolled her eyes, as she always did. But Chat's expression quickly fell. Ladybug had a warm, nuclear, happy family, he knew that much about her. Chat didn't consider himself the envious type, but on this one thing...“That sounds awesome.” Chat mumbled the words softly, almost inaudibly, and turned his eyes to his feet, shuffling awkwardly. He sounded so unusually sincere, Ladybug noted. “I wish my dad did stuff like that.” 

Ladybug put a comforting hand on his shoulder. She wanted more than anything to tell him he was always welcome in the Dupain home. But that meant a lot of things would have to happen first, none of which she was ready for. A quiet, “I'm sorry,” was all she could offer. He shrugged, looking back up at her with a small smile.

“We'd better go before something happens.” Ladybug prodded him with a sharp poke to the forehead, smiling widely. He sucked in a hard breath and nodded, giving her a signature smirk back.

 

 

The easiest entrance to the catacombs was an unassuming black building. Based on the lack of people on the streets and tourists gawking at the place, Chat was probably right about the Akuma hiding out within. “Have you ever been in these before?” She asked.

“Nope.” He fidgeted with his tail, clearly nervous about the idea of going in. “They're massive though. We could get lost in there if we aren't careful. People have died trying to find their way out.”

Ladybug nodded, turning to Chat. His brows were furrowed slightly, the corner of his lips pulled down into a sullen frown. She put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing. “We'll be fine.” She met his worried eyes with a smile. They'd pulled through together every time before, they'd do it again now. He laughed, gently putting his hand over hers.

“Of course we will. We always are, right?” He grinned at her, his usual cockiness returning. “But, ah, ladies first?"

Ladybug rolled her eyes, but grinned at him all the same. “Right.” She stepped into the dreary building, the entrance for tours of the catacombs. A laddered tunnel led straight down into what seemed like the endless darkness of the long-forgotten tombs. She grabbed it without hesitation, hopping down the rungs three at a time. She could barely see a light below her as she glanced over her shoulder. _It looks like the lights are still on down there, at least._ She hadn't thought to grab a flashlight or anything similar beforehand, a decision she already regretted.

Chat broke her thoughts with a chuckle. “Maybe I should have gone first. The view would have been much better!” Ladybug flushed red, and Chat let out another laugh as she swatted at his ankle, followed by another, louder laugh as Marinette yelped when she felt the cold end of his tail collide with her nose. “That was all you, Bug. You know I can't control that thing.”

She huffed. Refusing to gratify him with a response, she leaped off the ladder, landing gracefully at the bottom a few meters below. She stepped forward carefully, observing her surroundings. The walls were lined with bones, skulls stacked on top of one another, creating intricate patterns along the wall as they meshed with longer, thinner bones. A shiver ran down her spine. It was cold in these tunnels, and far too quiet. The eeriness washed over her, making her skin crawl uncomfortably.

Chat landed next to her, stiffening at the same sight. “Hello darkness, my old friend.” He chuckled softly, but it quickly devolved into nervous laughter as he sidestepped closer to Marinette. She patted his arm comfortingly, and began to weave through the narrow tunnels. Chat was uncharacteristically silent, walking side-by-side with Marinette and glancing around constantly.

“Chat, you're not really that afraid, are you? We've been down here for a while and you still haven't made a joke about these being _cat_ acombs.” She grinned at him, but got nothing back. Marinette couldn't believe her feisty, headstrong, outgoing partner who had seemingly endless enthusiasm would be so easily spooked by some old grave.

“We can't all be as brave as you.” He remarked. “Besides, it's not the catacombs themselves that's worrying me.” He reached out, lightly brushing his fingers on a dusty skull for emphasis. “It's how this is all set up. Miles of tunnels below the ground, prone to cave-ins, plus an Akuma. We have no idea what he's capable of. A single stroke of, dare I say, bad luck, and we could be toast. I'm worried about us surviving this, not some old spooky skeletons.”

She opened her mouth to make a comment about it, but she was interrupted by a the sound of glass shattering, and a light fifty feet in front of them going dark.

The pair stared in stunned silence. The next bulb in the line popped without warning, snuffing another light. “Shit!” Marinette hissed, “That's the way we need to go!”

“Good. Great. That's what I wanted to happen.” Chat deadpanned. “See what I mean?”

“At least we knew we're on the right track.” Another light went out. Somewhere in the darkness ahead, the complete, still silence was broken by a sharp rattling. Another explosion, followed rapidly by another. Darkness was quickly closing in.

“Stay behind me. I can see down here, you can't.” He stepped in front of her, staff ready for whatever might come. The last light in the line next to them popped, plunging the duo into complete darkness. “Hold onto my tail. Don't let go unless you have to.”

She reached for his tail, gripping it tightly. She put her other hand on his shoulder, holding tightly. She wasn't about to lose him. She felt him stiffen under her hand, his breath catching in his throat. “What is it, Chat?” She peeked around him, straining her eyes in the darkness to no avail. She pulled out her yo-yo, opening the compact to function as a dim flashlight. Peering over Chat's shoulder, she recoiled immediately. The bones along the wall had clattered to the floor, and began to slowly come together in an odd rhythm, building a hideous amalgamation of dusty, dry bones. The undead lifted one of three skulls that sat atop the formless body, the empty holes of its eye sockets gaining a pale pinprick light that ebbed and surged to a slow beat, changing color with every pulse. Slowly, it began to drag itself towards them.

Marinette snapped her compact shut, tightening her grip on his shoulder. “We need to get around that thing!” She looked around despite the futility, feeling completely useless. “I can't tell how big it is. Can we run past it?”

“Doubt it. It's pretty big, and I'm sure it can grab more bones if it needs to.” He gripped his staff a bit tighter, waiting. A few seconds that felt like an eternity passed, as Marinette could only wait for Chat to do something, say anything, move somewhere. Around her, the soft rattle of the bones echoed through the halls, sending a chill down her spine. But as she listened, she noticed that the rattling and scraping all came at a steady rhythm. Starting, stopping, starting, never changing pace.

“I can't really tell, but it seems like this thing moves on a beat.” She paused a second, listening again, and began to snap her fingers to the rhythm it moved with.

“Ooooh! That makes this easier.” Chat purred, readying himself as the creature crawled closer, its glowing eyes growing larger and brighter as it approached. “When I say go, just run straight forward. Don't slow down, don't try to dodge anything.”

Ladybug nodded, sidestepping next to him. She waited, straining her ears to catch the action.

A pause in the rhythm, and Chat raced forward. The sharp sound of metal on bone rang through the halls. Marinette lightly touched her fingers together with the tempo of the creature, noting when it would move and when it would remain still. She could feel the walls shake slightly, raining dust down on the hall.

The sounds of the fight were far too chaotic for Marinette to keep up with. She tried to find any sort of sign of what was happening, but all she could make out were the lit eyes of the monster, which swayed back and forth, pulsing and swaying, leaving small streaks of light as the skeleton moved. The eyes shot towards the ceiling as Chat shouted, “GO!”

Marinette took off, sprinting forward as fast as she could. She risked a glance as she passed, the battle illuminated slightly by the glow of Chat's ring and the eyes of the monster. Chat had it pinned to the ceiling by the torso, his pole extended to both sides of the tunnel. He ducked under the creature after Ladybug, staying as closely behind her. With a flick of his wrist, the staff retracted and flew back into his hand, letting the creature fall into a heap on the ground.

Chat skidded to a halt, looking back at the mass of remains behind him. It was already reforming, bring bones back into itself, taking more from the walls than before. He wasn't about to stick around and let it attack them again. “Keep running!” He grabbed his Lady's wrist, leading her down the hallway as quickly as he could, putting as much distance between themselves and the monster behind them as he could.

He skidded to a halt as the hall branched out in several directions. “Shit!” he looked down each hall, but they were equally dark, dreary, and directionless. “Where do we go?”

Marinette paused, thinking. Where would an Akuma go? Her thoughts were interrupted by a dull, barely audible thumping. She felt it more than she heard it. Another beat! But this one was different from the tempo of the monster. It was faster, more frantic. “Wait, listen! Do you hear that?” She poked Chat in the shoulder, holding her breath.

Chat lifted his head, cat ears flicking back and forth. “Yeah!” He perked up, bobbing his head to the tempo as he picked up on it. He moved to the entrance of each tunnel, ears swiveling back and forth, tipping his head side-to-side as he listened for the sound's source. “It's loudest from this way.” He took Ladybug's hand again, leading her down a path to the far right. The music grew louder and louder as they raced down the hall, until the walls of the catacombs buzzed with the bass of the music, and a faint purple light began to shine ahead of them.

Marinette pulled on Chat's hand, forcing him to a stop. She pulled him closer to her by the collar, whispering in his ear. “We need to have a plan before we just rush in. We know he can bring the bones to life, and they move to the beat of a song. How can we counter that?”

“I'm sure I can keep anything he resurrects off you, if you can focus on him.” Chat offered. “Maybe my mad DDR skills will finally pay off!” Marinette didn't need to see his wide, cocky grin. She could hear its smugness in his voice. Of course he was good at a dancing game, and of course he would be immensely proud of it, and of course it would come into play so he could be. She heard his feet shuffle on the ground, and gave him an unamused stare she knew he could see.

“Fine, just be careful. If anything goes wrong, this could be really bad.” The cat nodded, turning towards the light ahead. “At least it won't be dark and I'll be able to see again. That was certainly nice of him.” She noted.

“Right?” Chat realized he didn't have to hold Ladybug's hand anymore, letting it fall to her side as he grabbed his staff, a gesture not unnoticed by the hero herself. His flirting hadn't reached a complete halt, but ever since starting to visit her off the clock, it had lessened considerably. She missed it, in a strange way, but she still got to hear him purr pick up lines whenever he dropped by her balcony.

But this was absolutely not the time to think about things like that.

“We need to move, now. We've got some company.”

Marinette turned, catching the slow, familiar rattle of the mass of bones growing closer and closer. She could, if only barely, see its eyes behind them, dragging its way down the hall. “Right.” She began to sprint down the corridor, followed closely by Chat.

They weren't far from the end of the tunnel when the eyes of every skull on the walls lit up, filling the dark tombs with pale light. Chat yelped, squeezing his eyes shut and shaking his head, stunned by the sudden brightness. The dimming and brightening of the eyes, along with the changing color of the irises of every beat made the crypts seem more like a rave than a forgotten graveyard. Marinette grabbed Chat, dragging him further into the glowing hallway. The music was deafening now, the bass sending waves of force that Marinette could feel in her chest.

The pair burst into the brightly lit room, suddenly blinded by bright, white lights. The music came to an abrupt halt. Ladybug lifted her arm to shield her eyes from the bright stage lights around every corner of the room, all pointed at her and Chat. The sudden lack of music made Marinette feel oddly dizzy. She had gotten used to it, and now that it was gone, she somehow missed it.

“Well, well, well!” The bright lights disappeared, replaced with an eerie glow. Marinette forced her eyes to adjust, looking towards the voice's source. Atop a stage, speakers lined up behind him, was a man dressed in black robes, lined with bright LED lights, slowly changing color. A vaguely butterfly-shaped mask covered his face, and he laughed, sending an echo through the too-silent room. “Welcome, Ladybug and Chat Noir, to the catacombs of the Necrodancer!” He mustered the best evil laugh he could, turning his back to the heroes dramatically. He flipped a switch on the synthesizer at the back of the stage, dowsing the room in deep purple light. A slow song with a heavy beat started to play.

Ladybug rolled her eyes. She didn't have time for this. She took a quick step forward, ready to lunge at the akumatized villain. As her foot hit the ground, a sudden, intense shock ran up her leg, making her cry out involuntarily and fall to her knees.

“Ladybug!” Chat reached forward to grab her, but the felt a shock just as she had.

The Necrodancer cackled again, quieting the music to taunt, “You're playing by my rules, now! If you don't move to the beat of the song, this will be a very shocking experience for you!” The music swelled, growing almost unbearably loud, and sped up in tempo.

Chat stood up, bring Ladybug to her feet with him. He clenched his teeth as bones began to peel themselves from the wall, reforming as crude skeletons on the dance floor. They bobbed to the beat, and began to step forward to the rhythm of the baseline.

As they stood together, another shock never came until Ladybug tried to take another step. She hissed and clenched her teeth. “At least if we don't move at all we won't get shocked.”

“That's good to know. Should we go with the same plan as before?” Chat asked.

Ladybug nodded. She shifted uneasily as she stood, trying to feel the rhythm of the song. Chat was already ahead of her, dancing forward with all the ease and grace she didn't know she expected from him in a situation like this. Every step lined up with the beat, his staff twirled with the melody, and he brought his pole down on the skull of a skeleton in perfect harmony with the music. He cast a glance back at Marinette, grinning widely. He might be in danger from any number of things, but it was clear that he loved every second of this.

She needed to move, now. A skeleton approached from her right, rattling to the beat. If she was going to this this, she needed to get into the rhythm. Like before, she tapped snapped her fingers to the beat, matching her snaps with the pace of the monster approaching her. Switching to bobbing her head, she launched forward, landing with the next beat, casting a glance at Chat as she went. He threw her a thumbs up as he brought his pole down on a dusty skull, shattering it. But as quickly as he could destroy them, more would clatter from the walls and reform, advancing on him again.

She weaved her way across the room, settling into the beat of the music, destroying bones with her yo-yo as she went. She was getting close to the stage, and the Necrodancer growled.

“Too easy for you? Try this!” He flipped a switch on the synthesizer, and pushed a dial upwards. The song flowed into a faster lilt. Ladybug cried out as a shock arched up her body when she moved forward. She hadn't adjusted to the rhythm in time, and judging by Chat's appearance and wince of pain, neither had he. The Necromancer cackled maniacally atop his stage, clearly pleased with himself.

The beat is so quick I'm not sure I can keep up... She looked around for anything that could help her. Aside from the lights, the stage, and the skeletons closing in on her, there wasn't much to do.

She focused on a mass of bones that had grown too close, ready to take it out with a rhythmically timed flick of her wrist. But, she noticed, that wouldn't really be necessary. The skeleton moved to the beat, but bones fell away from it, snapped, and rained dust to the floor. It only grew more disheveled as it approached, until a stiff breeze would be enough to knock it over.

I can't keep up with the baseline, but neither can they. She realized. If they have to go any faster they'll all collapse on their own. She turned to the stage, stepping quickly to the beat, ignoring the reaching and falling skeletons around her. Halfway to the stage, she threw her yo-yo in the air, calling a magical item to her hands. Her voice was drowned by the music, but a large water balloon fell into her hands.

She tipped her head at it, puzzled, but she didn't have much time to think about it. She sidestepped a skeleton, almost colliding with Chat. He leaped out of the way of her, but suffered a shock from moving out of time.

“Sorry!” She called.

“It's fine, we have bigger problems than that!” He pointed his pole towards the sole entrance of the room. The massive amalgamation from earlier, though too big to fit through the doorway, was trying to claw its way into the room, bringing down any bone or rock in its path. The walls of the crypt shuttered dangerously, dropping debris to the dance floor. He glanced at the spotted item in her hands. “You better figure out how to use that or this is going to be our grave, too!” He danced away, towards the growing mass of bones behind them.

Ladybug looked at the balloon, furrowing her brow. She glanced around the room, looking for anything the she could use. Several items around the room lit up, and she had her plan. She deftly kicked a skeleton to her side, danced closer to the stage, and lobbed her balloon upwards, towards the lights above the stage.

“Chat, throw your staff!”

“Gotcha!” He stepped back from the enemy he was dodging, lobbing his pole towards Ladybug's balloon. They collided in midair, sending a rain of water down on the Necrodancer's synthesizer. It sparked with electricity, increasing the pace of the music as it short-circuited, sending the skeletons around her into a frenzy. It only took a few short second for the monsters around Ladybug to collapse from the exertion of keeping up with the frantic tempo. Chat seemed content to watch everything crumble around him, taking particular joy in watching the largest creature, so close to crawling into the room, fall in on itself. He laughed, turning to Ladybug with a cocky smile and a wink.

The synthesizer popped dangerously, smoke pouring out from the sides as the music came to an abrupt halt.

“Look at that,” Chat purred, sauntering his way to Ladybug's side. “No music, no monsters.” He slung his pole across his shoulders, moving threateningly toward the Akuma on stage.

“Chat, watch out!” Ladybug leaped forward, pushing the cat out of the way of a collapsing piece of the ceiling. She rolled neatly next to him, turning to spring on the Necrodancer without hesitation. She tackled him, ripping the glowstick bracelet from his arm and snapping it in two. The ground rumbled dangerously, leaving Ladybug little time to snatch the akuma from the air. Speech forgotten, she released the butterfly into the dangerously shaking cavern.

She found the tattered remains of her magical item on the side of the stage, picking it up carefully, swiftly dodging small bit of rock and debris raining from the ceiling.

“Ladybug, move!”

She tossed the limp rubber into the air with finality as the ceiling bucked. Noticing that a large part of the tomb was about to fall onto Ladybug, Chat tackled her, pinning her to the ground and acting as her human shield, despite the futility of shielding a death by crushing with his body, before she finish her victory cry. She inhaled sharply, squeezing her eyes shut, preparing for the worst as she wrapped her arms around Chat. Her Chat.

She had no idea how much time passed then. It could have been a few short seconds, it could have been all night. She didn't realize she was holding her breath until Chat let out a hot breath into her neck. She shivered, and exhaled sharply. She was alive.

“Am I dead?”

“Only if I'm dead too.” Ladybug opened her eyes. The light of the tomb, however dim, stung her eyes. She blinked to adjust them, looking at the cavern around her. Everything was back in place. Somehow, dare she say, _miraculously, her lucky charm had reverted the catacombs to a stable state before they became the newest addition to the collection of bones. There were no more bright stage lights, the skeletons on the way were orderly again, staring lifelessly ahead. She ruffled Chat's hair affectionately, and shoved him off of her._

He flopped to the ground beside her, letting out a long sigh. “I've had a lot of near-death experiences, but none have been as near as that was. God, what would they tell Marinette?” He sat up, looking to his Lady. She was looking around the open room somewhat frantically. “Something up?”

“Where's the victim?” She poked her head into the hallway, calling out in hopes of getting some kind of response.

“Maybe your lucky charm was nice enough to get him out of here. Would have been just great if it did the same for us.” He remarked bitterly. He got to his feet, brushing dust off of his suit.

“Wouldn't it?” She sighed. “We'd better get out of here. I think I only have few minutes left.”

“It took us almost twenty to get here walking through the tunnels. And half of that was sprinting away from crazy giant bone monster.” Chat reminded her. “I doubt we're getting out of here in-” another beep, and the third spot of her earrings vanished. “-less than two minutes.”

Ladybug grimaced. Was this it? This was how Ladybug got outed to the world. By getting stuck in a cave without a cookie in her purse. It was really something she should have considered earlier.

As if reading her mind, Chat leaned on her shoulder. “You're not gonna make it, but I'll be fine. I could say I found you in here looking for innocent people wrapped up in the Akuma business.” He tapped her earring with a claw as another spot blinked away. “You can walk behind me, too. Then you can keep your identity a secret. I won't peek, cat's honor!”

Ladybug chewed her lip thoughtfully. It was suspicious at best, but that sounded like the best option, unless they wanted to wander for potentially hours until they found a different exit that was less public. But maybe now was the best time for Chat to find out who she was. If she was really worried about him finding out her identity, she wouldn't let him into her bedroom on a near-nightly basis. She was sure he'd be ecstatic about the discovery of his former love and current one being the same person. Plus he might feel a little better about throwing himself under boulders if he knew he was doing it for his girlfriend.

But at the same time, would he get protective of her? The last thing she wanted was for Chat to try to keep her out of danger and get himself into even more trouble than he already did. He had a death scare at least once a month, and Marinette wasn't sure her heart could handle more than that. He could also try to keep her safe by telling her she shouldn't be in the fray, but that would just earn him an ass-whooping. She was going to fight whether he liked it or not.

“Now or never, little Lady.” He brought her back to reality with a gentle poke to the shoulder, sauntering away from her and down the hallway.

“Chat, wait.” He froze in place, and she continued. “I think you deserve to know who I am. You've done so much for me, and I...” the warm pink light of her transformation fading filled the cavern. Marinette caught Tikki in her hand, cradling the tired Kwami against her chest, who sighed contently. All she had to do now was pray that this didn't backfire horribly. “I don't want to keep any more secrets from you. I was always bad at it, anyway.”

The cat turned on his heel, facing her. His eyes were covered by his hand, and he huffed.

“What are you doing?” Marinette asked.

“I've waiting for this for like...three years. It's gotta be dramatic.” He slowly lifted his hand, revealing her from the bottom up, complete with a rocket-ship sound effect.

His voice caught in his throat when he reached her familiar face, and he let his hand fall limply to his side. “M-Marinette?” All he could do was stare wide eyed and opened-mouthed at the shyly smiling girl in front of him. Oh my God my girlfriend is Ladybug. She inhaled and opened her mouth to speak, unsure of what dumb words were about to fall out of her, but she was caught up in Chat's arms before she could even begin. He lifted her off the ground, twirling her around once and rubbing his face against hers, laughing all the while. Marinette laughed with him, half due to the surprise of being picked up, and half because Chat's laughter was simply contagious.

He held her bridal style, looking down on her with eyes that glittered with excitement. She beamed at him widely, and let out a contented sigh. “I was worried you'd be underwhelmed or angry or...something! That was dumb of me, I guess.” She wrapped one of her arms around his neck, the other on his chest.

“What?” Chat recoiled his face back from hers, furrowing his brows with confusion. “Why would I ever be angry or disappointed? Finding out that my beautiful,” He punctuated the word with a wet kiss to her chest, just below the dip of her sternum, “intelligent,” another kiss, this time on her neck. Marinette let out a bubbly (if somewhat inappropriate) giggle as he continued, “fiery,” he kissed her behind her ear, adding a small nibble on the lobe for emphasis, “and radically selfless and creative girlfriend is the one and only Ladybug?” He planted a kiss on her lips, quick but meaningful. “I've never been happier!” He spun around again, earning a yelp from Marinette as she clung to him for safety.

Marinette buried her nose into his neck, blushing hotly from his string of compliments. “I thought you wouldn't appreciate all the secret-keeping I had to do, or be mad I wouldn't tell you what I was until now...But, I'm happy you're happy!” She laughed happily, burying her face into his neck.

“Of course I am! I understand completely! I've been doing the same thing, just opposite.” He shrugged. When was he going to tell her who he was? Marinette was more of a mutual friend in school. She might not like the idea of Chat Noir being just boring old Adrien. But, Chat would leave tomorrow's problem for tomorrow's Chat. Right now, he had teasing to do. “I gotta know, Bug. What made you finally fall for me? The devilish good looks? Unadulterated, undeniable charm? Or was it...” He paused dramatically, narrowing his eyes and smiling wickedly, “the jokes?”

Marinette threw her head back in mock exasperation, raising a hand to her cheek dramatically. “You're absolutely right, Chat. It was the four-thousandth, seven hundred and thirty fifth cat-based pun that finally swept me off my feet.”

He laughed, setting Marinette back onto the ground. “You know what they say. Four-thousandth seven hundred and thirty fifth time's a charm!” He reached for her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers. “ I can't believe I didn't see it sooner! It's so obvious now! You always disappearing when Akuma show up, that time with the boat-date-thing, having the same haircut, eye color, and even voice. I'm an idiot!”

“Hindsight is 20/20?” Marinette offered. “I still don't know who you are, for what its worth.”

“Yeah, I guess. But we should get out of here. I've had enough of this cave for one day. Maybe even the rest of my life, now that I think about it.”

“Agreed!”

 

Safely back on her balcony, Marinette let go of Chat's shoulders, touching gracefully down on the balcony. “You know, I really think they bought that whole, 'looking for stragglers' thing. Good plan!” she chimed.

“I'm glad you thought so!” He flopped into her beach chair, content to finally be still for a minute and enjoy the warmth of the sun. After a quick stop into her room to give Tikki some cookies, Marinette sat on the arm of the chair, rubbing Chat's jawline with her fingers. He hummed contently, closing his eyes and leaning into her touch. He let her hands wander up to below his pseudo-cat ears, thoroughly enjoying every motion of her fingers on his scalp.

Without warning, he leaned forward, wrapping his arms around Marinette's waist and pulling her into the chair with him. She wiggled in defiance for a moment, but quickly gave up as she realized it was a vain effort as he held her in place, chuckling happily. She huffed through her nose with mock annoyance, but snuggled into the crook of his arm. Marinette was content to listen to the beat of his heart and feel the steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. In that moment, she was completely, unshakable sure she'd made the right decision in letting this dumb cat take her on an amazing date those months ago. Adrien could have his mystery girlfriend. She had Chat Noir.

“I can't even remember the last time I just laid down and relaxed for a while.” He commented after a long period of silence.

“I can't either. I'm always running around doing something.” She stretched, yawning widely. “I forget how exhausted I am until I'm not doing anything.”

“At least you don't have part-time job added onto that. And your parents are always so...supportive and caring and warm.” The black-clad hero held up a hand to the sky, examining the edges of his glove intently for no real reason. “I would love if I came home one day and my dad said,” He sucked in a breath, curled his lips down into a mock scowl, and deeply mocked, “How was your day, son'?” He let the rest of his breath out, his arm falling limply to his side. “Bonus points if he actually cares about the answer.”

Marinette had no idea what to say. How do you respond to that? _Sorry your dad sucks?_ “You're always welcome here.” She said finally.

“Thanks.” He laughed dryly. “Sorry I decided to go off like that. I probably just sound like a bratty teenager who doesn't get what he wants.”

“I don't think you do.” Marinette lifted to her head to meet his eyes. “And if you ever want to talk about anything, I'll always be here, and I'll always listen.”

Chat hugged her tighter. “And it means a lot to me, more than you know.” He buried his nose in her hair, sighing contently. All her wanted to do was hold her like this forever, and leave tomorrow's problems to tomorrow's Adrien. His ring let out a sharp beep, making Marinette jump. She let out a sharp breath, but settled back into his warmth. She wasn't going to let him go until she absolutely had to.

The ring beeped again, and was, again, ignored by Adrien.

He let out a soft sigh at the third beep. It was a bit annoying at that point.

“You should probably get going.” Marinette let out a resigned sigh, pushing herself off of Chat. She immediately noticed the cold, late-afternoon air on her skin and shivered.

“Nah.”

“You're not going to leave?” Another beep, more urgent than the last.

“I'm comfortable.” He opened an eye to look at her as if his answer was an acceptable one, smirking at her look of confusion, followed by a shrug of acceptance. I finally got her to warm up to the idea of knowing me! It only took three years, too.

“That's fair. I was pretty comfortable, too.” She flopped back down on top of him, re-snuggling into him. He had wanted her to know his identity since...forever anyway. Now that he knew hers, Marinette supposed it was only right for her to know who was behind the great Chat Noir mask. He ignored the last signal from his ring, starting the de-transformation. He hardly noticed the green glow, and wouldn't have noticed the suit coming off at all if it weren't for his pants being bunched up around his crotch and...

“If you were going to just sit here anyway, you could have just de-transformed on your own! Why make me do more work? I think you owe me a double helping of Camembert!” Plagg flopped on Adrien's head, slapping his forehead in frustration.

He looked up at the angry Kwami and laughed softly. “I will.” He glanced down to Marinette, who was staring at him owlishly, a bright red blush coloring her cheeks. He raised his eyebrows at her, drumming his fingers on her waist. “'Sup.”

Adrien wasn't really sure how long had passed as he waited for some kind of response from her. Her open-mouthed stare was so suddenly replaced by howling laughter that Adrien and Plagg both jumped in sync. She curled into a small giggling ball, unable to contain herself.

“What did I do?” Adrien laughed with her, but his stomach lurched dangerously. He probably could have done that reveal with more tact, but...Well, it was a bit too late for that. Oh God, did she think he was two-timing? She was there for the whole 'Adrien's girlfriend' debacle. No, she was smarter than that.

“Oh my God, all those times when you talked about having a girlfriend you meant me. And then Nino-”

Oh Christ, she was there for the condom gift thing. Adrien turned red at the memory. He tried to internally will his blush away, hoping Marinette didn't notice.

She paused and cleared her throat, finally making eye contact with Adrien. She quickly changed the subject. “So, you didn't do anything! It's just...Remember a couple of months ago when you dropped by as Chat? You told me to ask out my crush or go on a date with you.”

“Yeah? That led to the whole balcony-stargazing thing. Which was still a great idea, by the way.” He grinned mugly, leaning back in his chair. He got the mayor to turn off the lights in the city of lights. If that wasn't an achievement to be proud of, Adrien didn't know what was. Ah, shit. I forgot to buy him a fruit basket! He shook the thought from his head, returning his focus to Marinette.

“It really was an amazing date! But...” She smirked again, reaching up to ruffle his hair. “Oh God, this is so embarrassing. You were my crush, Adrien. You had been for a few years.” She buried her face in his clothes, letting out a sharp huff, as it would bury her embarrassment in Adrien's shirt. “So I guess I would have gone on a date with you either way.” She blinked, laughed again. “What a mess.”

“Wait, really?” He tipped his head, unsure is he believed her. “I thought you hated me up until a few months ago.”

“What?”

“I mean, whenever I talked to you you'd avoid eye contact and stutter and run out of the room like you were on fire. I thought you were getting away from me as fast as you could! Like that one time on the subway, I waved at you and you hid behind Alya until she forced you to wave back! I guess I just thought that you didn't even want me to see you.” _She actually liked me the whole time? Fuck, if I'd known that my life would have been way easier. I'm an idiot._

Marinette gasped, her face turning red again. “Oh my God, no! I had such a crazy, frothing, fangirl crush on you I couldn't think straight when you were around! I thought you'd think I was weird and crazy and maybe have like a speech impediment or something! I couldn't talk to you right until...you, but with a mask, showed up on my balcony that night and cooled me off a little.” She sat up, resting with her legs folded under her. She bit her lip as Adrien grinned Chat-ishly at her. _He looks like he's about to make a really terrible joke._

“Not gonna lie-” He started, and Marinette groaned immediately, burying her face in her hands, “I did think you had a stutter for the first month or so I knew you.” Adrien laughed apologetically as she fell onto her side, making incoherent, embarrassed noises. He patted her back. “That was mean, I'm sorry!”

“You should be.” She grumbled, but reached forward to wrap her arms around Adrien and snuggle him again.

“Now wait a minute!” Plagg floated in front of her nose. Marinette had to look cross-eyes to see him wave an angry paw at her. “I'm hungry! I give and give and give so Adrien can run around the city doing whatever in spandex, and what do I get in return? Not Camembert, apparently!”

“Alright, alright.” Adrien chuckled at his small friend, sitting upright. “Marinette, you wouldn't happen to have cheese, would you?”

“I do!” She bolted up and through the trapdoor, Adrien following lazily behind. He contented himself with relaxing in her office chair, spinning himself in slow circles until he was too dizzy to continue. Surprisingly, Plagg wasn't complaining about Marinette taking so long. Adrien spotted him near the corner of Marinette's room, sitting on desk, talking in a whisper. I had no idea he was capable of talking more quietly than a yell. He pushed himself closer, spotting another, bright red Kwami sitting behind Plagg. She immediately looked up, beaming at the teenage boy.

“Hi Adrien!” She floated up to him, happily clapping her...hands? together. “I'm Tikki! Marinette's Kwami!”

“It's nice to meet you, Tikki! You're way cuter than Plagg, and you don't even smell like old cheese!” He smiled back at her, ignoring the cat's offended scoff.

The tiny creature giggled, “Thank you! You get used to how he smells after a few centuries.”

Marinette returned to the room, holding a large plate in her hands. “Sorry about that!” She shuffled in awkwardly, setting the plate on her desk. It was covered in fresh rolls, pastries, and cheese. Plagg descended on it like a starved dog, shoving cheese in his mouth like he would never eat again. Tikki politely grabbed a cookie, taking small, thoughtful bites.

“I told my parents you were here. They were kind of confused about how you got in without them noticing,” she shrugged nonchalantly, “but they also insisted I bring up some food for you. Something about not getting any last time.”

Adrien looked from the platter to Marinette, unable to contain his grin. “I'll tell them thank you before I go! Your parents are awesome, Marinette.” He took a bite of a roll, sighing contently. He glanced at his phone. It was only five in the afternoon, and Adrien had absolutely zero plans for the rest of his Sunday. “So...what are we gonna do?”

“Right now? I was thinking a video game, Steven Universe marathon, or maybe just going to bed.”

“All of those sound fun, but, no, not tonight. Tomorrow. When we go to class and everyone thinks I have a secret girlfriend from another town.” Adrien smiled sheepishly at Marinette, who sat cross-legged on her bed.

“Oh, yeah. That's a thing.” She chewed a cookie thoughtfully. “And I suppose it would be weird if we went from casual friends to...”she waved her hand in the air, looking for a proper word to use, “this,” she ignored Adrien's snort, and continued, “overnight. I can think of a few people who would find it a bit...peculiar.”

The blonde stood up from his chair, quickly closing the distance between himself and Marinette. He leaned over her, pressing his forehead against hers and taking her hands, enjoying the warmth of her skin and how soft it felt against his own. “Well, they can think whatever they want. As long as I'm with you, I'll be happy.” He rubbed his nose against Marinette's, pulling away so he could flop onto the bed. He stretched out like a cat, settling into the blankets comfortably.

“And I'll be happy too!” She twisted around and flopped forward, draping herself across his back and giggling happily. “We could just tell them we were keeping this on the down low because of our parents. Well, probably your Dad, specifically.” She added meekly.

“It wouldn't even be lying.” Adrien couldn't keep bitter dryness out his tone. His father had told him not to get distracted by girls before, and he somehow doubted Gabriel's stance had changed. But, he didn't care anymore. He couldn't bring himself to ever ignore Marinette or downplay his feelings for her. For once, he was truly happy, and he wanted the whole world to know why. “But I can worry about that fallout. I don't ever want you to feel unwanted, Marinette.” He rolled underneath her, sitting up and leaning forward to cradle her in his lap. Wordlessly, he nuzzled his cheek against hers. She sighed and leaned into him. Adrien buried his nose in her hair, content to sit with her like this forever.

They sat together in blissful silence, until Marinette spoke up. “Adrien?” She pulled herself away from him, looking up into his eyes. “Do you mind if I take a shower? I smell like sweat and dead people and I feel like it's really killing the mood for me.”

Adrien laughed wholeheartedly, pushing the small girl away from him playfully. “I'm probably not any better.” He grinned, ruffling dust out of his hair for emphasis.

“Don't get it on my bed! Gross!” She grabbed a pillow and threw it at him.

He caught it easily, laughing. “Sorry! I'll fluff them out while you shower.”

She rolled her eyes, standing up and beginning a scavenger hunt around her room for pajamas to wear.

Adrien flopped forward onto the bed again, covering himself in the coziest blanket he could find as he watched Marinette. “So, are you still going to the party on Saturday? You didn't seem too excited about it a few days ago.”

She hummed thoughtfully. “I don't, really. But I'll go this time. If I have fun, great, I'll do it again. If it's awful and I hate it, I'll skip the party next time.”

“Are you going to get drunk? Because I promise parties are indescribably more fun if you are.” Adrien had only been to one house party before in his life, and it was almost a year ago. The only thing he remembered about it was how awful he felt the next day. But, he wasn't about to make the same mistake twice, and he wouldn't let Marinette do it either.

“Uhh...” She paused her hunt to consider. “I'll try it, I guess. I'm worried I'll do something dumb. Although, now that the cat's out of the bag with you, there isn't much left I could really do that would be too embarrassing.”

“If it makes you feel better, Nino told me I sang along to Beyoncé using an empty beer bottle as a microphone at the party I went to last year. I'm an awful singer, Marinette. Plus, I'm pretty sure he has video evidence. I doubt you'll be able to top that as far as embarrassing stunts go. I would say it's one of those memories I cringe about at night, but I don't remember it at all.” He laughed along with Marinette, who had gathered her clothes in her arms.

“I could accidentally spill something about being Ladybug.” She chewed her lip anxiously as she considered the idea of outing her secret identity.

Adrien shrugged. “I'll keep you in check, and I'm sure Alya will, too.”

“Alright.” Marinette visibly relaxed, and her expression brightened. “I'll just try to have fun! But I seriously need to take that shower. The more I think about the dead people dust thing the more it freaks me out.” She visibly shivered and disappeared into the bathroom, leaving Adrien to his own devices. He noticed Plagg had been suspiciously quiet for the past half hour. Adrien untangled himself from the blankets, intent on finding the black Kwami. Similarly to small children or puppies, too much silence was almost never a good thing. He searched Marinette's desk in vain (although he noted she had found and pinned up the small doodle of himself as Chat Noir and Marinette he had done a few months ago), and couldn't find either Kwami on the windowsill, ledge leading up the balcony, or closet. It wasn't until he thought to look up that he noticed a small patch of red nestled into the corner of the woodwork near the end of the desk. He peeked up as stealthily as he could. Adrien had to resist a verbal, “awww,” as he took in the Kwamis. They were both fast asleep, Tikki resting against the wall with Plagg curled up next to her, using her as a small, red pillow. He decided to leave them be.

He waited patiently for Marinette to get out of the shower, flopping on her bed and pulling out his phone to browse the Ladyblog. He paused when the header of the blog loaded in, realizing that he really didn't have to browse the Blog on the reg anymore. He had a direct line to the real deal: His girlfriend.

The realization that Marinette was Ladybug washed over him again. His chest felt tighter and he could only grin stupidly to himself. It was like he hadn't really processed the information the first time and he was reliving the reveal all over again. _Marinette is my wonderful, beautiful, talented girlfriend. Marinette is also Ladybug._

He rolled onto his back, sighing dreamily. What had he done to deserve The sounds of the shower stopped, and a few minutes later, Marinette stepped back into the room. Her nightshirt hung long and loose around her, almost entirely covering up the shorts she had put on. Her hair was still damp, clinging to her face and neck loosely. Adrien's heart skipped a beat.

“I feel so much better, its unbelievable.” She threw her towel into a corner of the room, ruffling her hair with her hands as she approached Adrien.

“Wait, wait, you have to see something!” Adrien pointed to the cranny that Tikki and Plagg were sleeping in. “But be quiet.”

She tipped her head, obviously confused, but walked to the corner, hopping up onto the wood as he had earlier. Her reaction was immediate and adorable. She let out a quiet, happy gasp, turning to Adrien with the giddiest smile he had ever seen on her. She stepped down, falling onto her bed and burying her face in her hands to muffle her loud, “Aaaaawwwwwwww they're so cute!”

Adrien shuffled closer to Marinette, draping an arm over her back and burying his face into her neck, not caring that her hair was still wet. “Not as cute as you,” he mumbled, chuckling when an incoherent, embarrassed noise rose from Marinette as a response.

“I think you're cute, too.” She squeaked back, turning her head slightly to look at him, flushing red. She still couldn't quite separate Chat from Adrien, and having her love interest of a few years in her bed, snuggling her and telling her she was cute was still a bit much to process. The mental and physically exhaustion of her day was finally catching up to her, and as she lay in bed with her eyes closed and a warm Adrien next and somewhat on top of her, she didn't want to move, probably ever again. Her eyelid were heavy. She tried to open them to look around her room, but she felt like her eyelids were suddenly made of lead. “Would you be fine with me taking a nap?” She mumbled into her blankets, but directed her question at Adrien. “I'm almost too tired to function.”

“Of course. But, only if I can nap with you. I've been running on seven hours of sleep since Thursday.”

Marinette forced herself up onto her hands and knees, letting Adrien's arm fall limply to the bed. If she was going to take a much-needed nap, she was going to do it the right way. She dug her phone out of her pocket, set an alarm for twenty-five minutes, and lazily tossed it to the other side of the room.

“What was that?” Adrien yawned, barely turning his head in a half-assed attempt to see what she was doing.

“Making sure we don't sleep too long. Nobody's ever felt better after a too-long nap.” Marinette said simply. She scooched between Adrien and the wall, wiggling herself under the covers. Nestled into her pillow and blankets, she sighed contently. Adrien let out a long, tired sigh as he shuffled himself next to Marinette, who lifted her arm to toss her covers over him. He snuggled in happily, finding Marinette's hand on the pillow and intertwining it with his.

Adrien was one hundred percent certain he'd never been more comfortable in his life. He let a long, peaceful moment pass. “Marinette,” he mumbled quietly. He hoped she wasn’t asleep, but a soft hum told him that wasn't the case. “I want you to know you're the best thing that ever happened to me.” Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled lazily.

“And so are you, but for me.” She giggled softly and inched herself closer to him, resting her forehead on his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had no idea Crypt of the Necrodancer was a thing until after I finished that segment of the chapter. And fuck rewriting that shit, so it stays. 
> 
> I see one more chapter in this. Hopefully it won't take me over a month again, but...Fates comes out this week and then a bunch of stuff after that, sooooo.  
> No promises. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed, nerds.


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